A while back two teenagers copied from a Grand Theft Auto game and went on a shooting spree killing two people. Now the families of the victims are suing Rockstar Entertainment because they felt the games' content inspired them to commit the murders and that they should be held responsible for the actions.

Here's what I think. Video games are made for people to play them. That's how they are intended to be used. Video game publishers, makers, and other parties who put video games out into the market don't intend for people to use them as a how-to training book to commit crimes. Same thing would go with the people who write novels and people who make movies. If it was a game or a computer program that was an instructional guide on how to kill people or commit criminal acts then that would be crossing the line. If something like that happened (And I highly doubt that would happen) here's how I would see it. If a company intentionally creates a program to aid and abbet crimes and they know that people will use it for that purpose, then they should be held responsible. But this is not the case with the Grand Theft Auto series.

What do you think?

I agree. It would take a deranged mind in the first place to go on these murderous sprees. With or without a video game, it's only a matter of time for the sickos.

I feel parents should have more blame placed on them. They should read the labels and ratings on games before buying them for their kids. They should also be teaching their kids enough moral values so that they can determine whats right and wrong, and what's fiction and reality. As for older people, like Janice said...if someone is in that poor of mental shape anything could cause this behavior. Regardless of whatever game they played, people like that are bound to snap any minute.

I agree- I'm sick of people blaming other things like films/games when their kid kills someone. Like that 'Matrix Defense' thing- a film doesn't make you kill someone. A movie doesn't give someone the want to kill- the person always has it in them, the film may influence HOW they kill, but not why.

Originally posted by ~*Hannah_Lee*~
I feel parents should have more blame placed on them. They should read the labels and ratings on games before buying them for their kids. They should also be teaching their kids enough moral values so that they can determine whats right and wrong, and what's fiction and reality. As for older people, like Janice said...if someone is in that poor of mental shape anything could cause this behavior. Regardless of whatever game they played, people like that are bound to snap any minute.

:nod: I agree with your post. Spinning off from your post, the problem those days is the parents buy kids' love with money, and that is not what's supposed to happen. "I'll buy you a candy bar if you can behave" - that's not how you do it. The parents need to be a lot more strict, and I'm not seeing that happen. ohno:

All I know is that I played a lot of Super Mario 3 as a kid, and I never once stomped on a turtle.

Originally posted by PZelda: VICKI!!
The parents need to be a lot more strict, and I'm not seeing that happen. ohno:

I agree with that and it's too bad. I think parents are afraid to discipline their children. You can't even give your kid a spanking these days without being hauled off to jail. Another thing is parents have to work so much now that they really don't have the time or make the time to teach their kids good values. I'm not saying it is all the parents fault it's just that with rising costs of living it is nearly impossible to live on just one income. Kids also need better father figures in their lives too. I know so many kids who don't even know their dads.

Originally posted by AKA
All I know is that I played a lot of Super Mario 3 as a kid, and I never once stomped on a turtle.

LOL

Originally posted by AKA
All I know is that I played a lot of Super Mario 3 as a kid, and I never once stomped on a turtle.

Reminds me of a joke Jay Leno once told: "I never put my feet throught the floor of a car just because Fred Flintstone taught me to do it."

...or something like that.

No. Media (music, TV, games, movies) is not an excuse for bad parenting.

Originally posted by Mijada
Kids also need better father figures in their lives too. I know so many kids who don't even know their dads.


That's not always the fault of the mother. My daughters "father" (and I really hesitate to use that term because the only thing he ever did was...well you know...) knows where we live, where I work, how to get a hold of us, where my child goes to school and he wants nothing to do with her/us. When I refused to "do away with the problem" he said he wasn't going to be handcuffed to a child he did not want for the rest of his life.

He's never been around, he's never seen her, he's made no effort.


Video game makers can't MAKE a child do bad things. I'm doing just fine with my own daughter and she's not influenced by games, video's, TV...other than occasionally thinking she's Spongebob Squarepants :)

Oh I'm sorry. I never meant to say it is the moms fault. It is definitely the fathers fault. I grew up without a full time father so I know how it is. It's just makes me mad seeing so many kids go through their childhoods with no dad around.

Originally posted by Mijada
Oh I'm sorry. I never meant to say it is the moms fault. It is definitely the fathers fault. I grew up without a full time father so I know how it is. It's just makes me mad seeing so many kids go through their childhoods with no dad around.

Or you could think about how good the kids can turn out by having a mom who is both a mom AND a dad.

I still say I should get Fathers Day cards too :D

Originally posted by Nanny Fine
Or you could think about how good the kids can turn out by having a mom who is both a mom AND a dad.

I still say I should get Fathers Day cards too :D

Yeah, That's very true but in my case it still sucked not having a dad around when I needed help building things for Science class or when stuff needed fixing around the house. My mom wasn't able to do a lot of these things herself.

no people should be smart enough to know better

Originally posted by Brian
A while back two teenagers copied from a Grand Theft Auto game and went on a shooting spree killing two people. Now the families of the victims are suing Rockstar Entertainment because they felt the games' content inspired them to commit the murders and that they should be held responsible for the actions.

Here's what I think. Video games are made for people to play them. That's how they are intended to be used. Video game publishers, makers, and other parties who put video games out into the market don't intend for people to use them as a how-to training book to commit crimes. Same thing would go with the people who write novels and people who make movies. If it was a game or a computer program that was an instructional guide on how to kill people or commit criminal acts then that would be crossing the line. If something like that happened (And I highly doubt that would happen) here's how I would see it. If a company intentionally creates a program to aid and abbet crimes and they know that people will use it for that purpose, then they should be held responsible. But this is not the case with the Grand Theft Auto series.

What do you think?
No.

When will society start taking responsibility of it's own actions rather than pointing the finger.

Sometimes I feel the entire world hasn't matured beyond the mind of an 8 year old child.

Originally posted by Janice
I agree. It would take a deranged mind in the first place to go on these murderous sprees. With or without a video game, it's only a matter of time for the sickos.Yes and the way the world is now where most people minds ARE NOT OK,games like this are quite bad........ They take what they see and do it themselves!! (As they think its only a game what they are doing!!)

Games are not supposed to portrey reality. Games are supposed to be fun like MSPACMAN,etc......

Its time to for all this garbage to be binned!!