Wow. "May be acting out the game in real life!" That's some genius (read: DUMB AS HELL) reporting right there. One man does not speak for all gamers. I played GTA III when I was 10-11, and I am fine. This dude has some mental issues and should be thrown in a nice padded room.

Amazon_Chris

I get so frustrated by news articles compiled in this manner that I don't know what to say.

Some guy steals some stuff from a game store and he's "acting out a game?". Infuriating. I didn't see any spinning yellow arrow out the front of that Gamespot, did you?

xRiOT

*groan*...

GiantEnemyCrab

This guy needs Needs boot camp!!! SHUT UP, MAGGOT!!!!

Grimmjow Jeagerjaques

Instead of just threatening to taze' the guy they should have tied him down and let the employees pepper-spray his dumb ass.

Muffin_Man

It made me laugh when it had the customer's name and below it it read, "Gamer." What's next? The name and below it, "Human?"

Sloopydrew

Blatant bashing on games again. Just listen to her talk... no idea what the game is actually about... I smell a 'MASS EFFECT' rerun coming up...
Also notice how she says, 'Unlike in the game, the theif surrender to authorities'. WTF!WTF!~

MalariaMan21077

What a pathetic attempt to target the videogame industry.

knikola

@jello44:

I know, 27 years old and acting like he's 12. Such a shame.

dead_red_eyes

Thank God the News 8 cameras were there to catch all of the action.

PatMan33

Ugh!This is so sickening.

YUYU

@stupidfanboy: Oh thats a good one! :D

okenny :)

@stupidfanboy:

LMFAO!!!!!!!

dead_red_eyes

@Mit: LOL the UF guy.

Schoolimangooli

So he took more than one game but they concentrated on GTA. What if it where Mario. Would they hype up a possible connection to hallucinogenic substances?

Clarke

LMFAO!! what a joke!!!

they get that woman with the kid talking about how "i think a lot of the kids today lose all social interaction through video games..."

THE GUY WAS 27 FUCKING YEARS OLD!!!! for those of us, unsocialized, THATS 10 YEARS OLDER THAN SUGGESTED TO PLAY THE GAME

and apparently the dumbass has never heard of online multiplayer....

so many UNEDUCATED people talking shit out there ass....it's amazing to wonder how people can be so clueless and yet still give their worthless opinions

drlard

I really wish I could have responded to the concerned parent with "Maybe if parents were raisign their children instead of just letting them "act out" the games this wouldn't be an issue. I was raised on Mortal Kombat and yet I've never tried to knock someone's head off or tear out a spine. Maybe it's because my parents said "You know that's fake right?" If I did, we were cool. If I even hinted that I didn't (which I joked about once) WHOOSH my game was gone. Imagine that, parenting has an effect on kids.

VampHuntD

@stupidfanboy:

HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAH

zombieistired

He was probably pissed about the GTA IV 630p problem on the PS3 and acted out his anger. If he had known the 360 version was 720p native, he might have purchased it and gone to eat at his parents sushi restaurant and not have spit at the camera guy. What?.

oldskuel

@dead_red_eyes:

Yeah, that was funny. Dude is a 27 year old, and he acting like a total chode.

@Cruithne:

Well, he was acting like a child inside the police car. TELL THEM TO STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP. He sounded like some damn 6 year old who just got his lollipop stolen.

I'm 26 and I wanted GTA IV too, and you know what I did? Went to the store and BOUGHT it.

jello44

What, that random woman who commented on the story was rather ignorant. He wanted the game, he didn't want to pay/couldn't pay so he stole it. Simple as that, no trying to imitate the game or having a lack of social interaction.

"Tell him to stop!" Lol, sounds like a 10 year old.

Pata-pwn(TM?)

Realize, it's... "Some games INCLUDING GTA IV" but.. some games were not specified. Maybe he stole a copy of Naruto and was trying to go ninja? =O

Kamix

@dead_red_eyes: duh! Gamer is a derogatory word. It loosely translates to infidel in Arabic.

okenny :)

Guy was 27 years old and they're talking about him as if he's a kid.
OK, he acted like a pussy bitch, but still...

Cruithne

Ah yes, the usual blame the game parade. At least they got a gamer's opinion, because you could see the almost obvious bias against the game and gamers in general.

RedTestament

@Shocky:

I know! It's like they're just pinning the GTA IV shit on him because it was released that day, which is ridiculous! I want to know what other games were taken as well. And what in the hell is up with our media these days? I'm tired of all this sensationalist & biased bullshit.

dead_red_eyes

How was he acting it out? He's never played it.

Crash McCloud

Wow, this news team is fucking retarded.

Heyyou27

@Shocky: While I don't agree with them singling out GTA and making it all it's fault, $145 worth of games is like... maybe 3 games. And he probably just stole more copies of GTA to sell back to gamestop.

I still think the news team's attitude towards the whole situation is completely unacceptable though.

/"Don't taze me bro" quote here

DeadHex

I LOVE IT!!! "...acting out..." she said with a smirk on her face :) Oh, they know what they are doing... I wonder if anyone bothered to say how many times they said "Grand Theft Auto" in the story after establishing he stole more then just GTA4.

Careful people, better not buy Mario Kart Wii and find yourself in an accident, you may be accused of reckless driving because after all you may imitate the game.

At least we know where the news media stands on the "Are games art?" debates!

okenny :)

i love the line "he could be acting out his video game experience" as they are showing GTA 4.... yet he didnt even play it yet so how could the game of turned him into that crazy person yet?

neodoom

I also love how they call him a "gamer". So if a football player goes fucking nuts at a sports store and robs it ... do they call him a jock? "Gamer" is quickly becoming a derogatory term, or another way to call someone a "lowlife" it seems.

dead_red_eyes

This guy is clearly screwed up in the head. Just goes to show that some people are just fucked up.

I love the whole soccer mom appearance, "well you know kids these days play too much games and they never have any social interaction, blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah". Way to make broad generalizations there moron. In my eyes she's just as fucked in the head as that kid.

dead_red_eyes

"He wanted it, so he took it. Probably, just like the character in the game he wanted, Grand Theft Auto."

Could someone inform me of the mission where Niko goes apeshit to get the hottest, most new, violent video game on the market of Liberty City. kthx

BrutalAssailant

This disgusts me. It's people like this that give "gamer" a negative connotation

AqueousBeef

Forget the news, Pokemon could have came out and they wouldn't be giving them that much shit about the game.

Notice how he stole (145$) and only GTA IV was mentioned. The repeatedly showed clips from the game and continually said he might be trying to act out the character.

IT'S A VIDEO GAME! NOT A LIFESTYLE!

Shocky

I like how they had the concerned mom in front. I wonder if her child will eventually lose all "social interaction" and forget how to tell right from wrong. I can say right now it won't just be a game's fault.

At least they balanced it out with an actual customer after that woman.

Fierfaerie

A couple GTA thieves were caught here in the Twin Cities too. Way to give gamers a bad name and censorcrats more ammo, a-holes!

Wookiee1

This is rediculous! They made so many references to GTA4 being a main factor to the guy's robbery. The reporter said that the (idiot) guy stole a bunch of other games, right? Why did GTA4 have to be called out like that? I also hated that reporter at the Gamespot, shaking her head like she knows games. Does SHE wanna get tazed?

JoBo

Guess he didn't get out of the circle on the map fast enough. What a noob.

stupidfanboy

this poor dude probably has about 95 demons he needs to work out

windsor b

ok, so now i get why he was so pissed. it's obvious he probably didn't even get to finish his lunch! damn they shoulda least let him get a doggy bag.... the nerve

zanzibarlegend

God that was quick. Before the story took off they were already blaming the game.
At least they were to get someone intelligent to speak and give a reasonable example. How can they blame games for violence when the regular news media tends to show enough of it as is.

Chuco

Nothing makes me foam at the mouth in anger more than some clueless news reporters simply assuming that the idiot who did this was simply acting out the game.

KagaSakai

Don't taze me bro!

Mit

It takes a mentally unstable person to react to video games like that..if indeed video games were a factor at all, seeing as how he obviously hadn't played the game yet. Isn't it amazing how no one stole anything before video games came out? They never shot anyone, no one ever tried to steal a car either. Definitely all video games fault.

Ajh

*rolls eyes*..more fuel for the fire...all the ignorant parents who watch this are now going to think...Gamer=psycho criminal

ghnvt

Taze him bro !

Nexus6

"Probably just like the character in the game he wanted,Grand Theft Auto".Awesome.That's the best pull phrase yet.I hope Earth is smashed by a comet soon,say by 2012?Then I won't have to listen to LCD drivel like this.Thanks to the US media and the culture of fear they perpetuate on the unwashed ignorami of the world.

coktoe

some crack head steals a random stack of games that "happen" to have GTA IV and OF course it had to be because of the game. Look at that fool kick the glass, may have been a gamer at somepoint but that boy is just ALL stupid.

dechire

Had to have the mother in there saying games influence our kids. Kids? The guy was 30 XD

retardedsushi

At least there was a bit of reason at the end of that news cast. I was expecting them to blame all of society's downfalls on GTA. $400 mill in sales means a lot of people want this game. One freaks out, that is not a negative effect of this game. This dude, would have freaked out over anything.

CaveHonkey

ROFL!! That guy who turned it back onto the news reporter by saying it was no different than the news showing Abu Ghraib tortures was brilliant.

TC

That "gamer" guy was so right. I think someone needs to find that guy and get him some free games. He had the opportunity so say something intelligent about games and he said it instead of saying something like 'I LOVE GTA!!!I can't wait to get home and kill stuff'. Thanks man. Great comments. Too bad most people are too ignorant or don't want to listen.

dekushrub150

Maybe he was so frustrated about which version looked better, the PS3 or 360 one, got flustered, grabbed both copies, and booked.

Those comparison videos serve no good whatsoever.

Despacio

Whoa! This article just popped up for a second ago, but there are plenty of more recent ones that I have been seeing for a while. What's going on?

jambe

@lifeinthefridge: Yes but it's so much more fun to focus on their talk about games. There isn't much more you can say about the guy that stole the games other than crazy, stupid and crazy.

Ajh

I know everyone here thinks this was some attack on video games, but It really wasent that bad....

Sure it may seem like they were trying to relate the robbery too the game, but come on the irony was just too good for them not too. They even put 2 interviews up from people with different opinions and one claimed he thought video games had no effect on society.

Anyway I think this was a good report, and everyone here needs to chill out and realize this is nothing compared to jack thompson.

lifeinthefridge

I bet he was wondering what button to push to open the car door.

Patient

Holy shit, Matt Pinfield lost a lot of weight.

Wubbytoes

Silly story, but how cool would it be to buy a copy of GTA4 that someone tried to steal. Sorta makes it more authentic!

Heat_Man

SIGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

At least they had a gamer point of view who wasn't some retarded kid.

Ra is back on the A-Team!

it has nothing to do with the game, sensationalist reporting, and he only stole $145? thats 2 360, or ps3 games, and a cheap DS game, i mean it doesn't lessen his crime but, dude common.

npa190

This story only perpetuates the stereotype that all gamers are lazy, stupid, irresponsible, man there's too much here. First off, the DBag only got $145 worth of games which is like 2 games and not even a felony which is $500. Then, the stupid chick that they interviewed says that gamers don't know what it's like to work for things, well how the fuck else did I get my game? I'm not the idiot on the commercial and I spent my hard earned money to get this game. I just hate people who make us look bad...

jspeed04

Wow, cop threatened to Taze him while he was fully restrained in a police cruiser? It's no wonder they kill people with those things.

It is a less-lethal weapon, meaning it is less likely to kill someone than a gun, thus it is meant to be used as a substitute for a gun when lethal force isn't necessary. He wouldn't have threatened to shoot him if he didn't have a Tazer, now would he?

A more appropriate measure would be to charge him with restricting arrest, destruction on public property, and/or other charges. Then suggest the judge give him plenty of community service time, that would go a long way and send a much better message than shocking him.

EmerilLIVE

Hahaha, what a douchebag.

Kenninator

Instead of getting mad at the news for covering this, I think that gamers should be mad at the idiot who tried to steal the game. Morons like that give gamers a bad name. How did that loser even afford a PS3/360? If he has to resort to going into a Gamestop and attacking employees to steal a game, then I can't imagine what he had to do to get the console.

That guy is pathetic. The sad thing is he probably thought he was so cool for doing that. When someone commits a stupid crime like that, I think that instead of sending them to jail they should just have someone beat the crap out of them. People like that need their asses kicked. That guy clearly had an attitude problem. He's probably one of those idiots who walks around with a chip on his shoulder always looking to start fights with people because he molested as a kid. A good ass whooping would humble him a little.

I really wanted Mario Kart, but you didn't see me throwing turtle shells at other cars on the road on my way to Wal-Mart.

mrplow8

Eh it's so easy for them to target video games. I'm surprised they didn't cue in on his pants being a possible way to identify him as the trouble causing type - rather than his attitude. Because oy, who judges people based on their attitude right?

Last I checked, Nico doesn't exactly use pepper spray to steal anything. Granted I haven't played the game long - but I don't even think it's a weapon.

I think what everyone is sick of is that video games tend to take the blame for all kinds of BS if it's even remotely connected in any way. Game at your house? There's a connection... They reach so far for a connection to it that it has become absurd - and I think that gamers in general are just sick of hearing news reports about it.

Equally, why do we not hear this guys music habits? Why do we not hear of his past offenses? Because none of it matters.

It wasn't a good report. It was just another report trying to keep a few viewers while it can until the majority of the news watching populace knows much more about games than the reporters do.

At that point, it'd be like a high school know-it-all brat reporting to a bunch of meteorologists about the weather via TV.. And when I say reporting, I mean the guy is standing up there - giving his opinion on the weather and how it will react. The student knows nothing of meteorology, and has no business attempting to place any connections to the topic. The student should just do their job and leave the connecting to the experts. I think the same goes here.

I am just tired of the news in general, on multiple topics, attempting to give me their opinions and views on topics that they obviously know nothing about. Unfortunately that falls to most things under the sun now.

Dennen

Ah... around 8 million copies sold and a few people got crazy and tried to jack it. And news reporters are declaring its because of the games content... What? Then that would mean 8 million people should be flippin out running around the streets flame throwing pedestrians. Or has noone gotten that far in the game yet? And I hate the word "Videogame" It makes it seem so childish. Like he was stealing pokeman cards from his grandma's purse...

DarkNessbear

Today a man was charged with robbing a rhinocerous from a local zoo on the same day the newest pokemon game is released..he wanted it so he took it, probably like the character in the game he wanted Pokemon Diamond would have

Over to seargent woodbury of the bay area police department..

"well we apprehended the alledged soon after the attack when the police chopper spotted his truck towing a large red and white ball containing the rhinocerous parked on the interstate"

xyzface

Gotta love how local news everywhere looks and sounds exactly the same, and covers things in the exact same shallow manner

teraphony

I'm actually surprised he also got away with the Gamestop bag. One would think just to grab the merchandise and get out as soon as possible, but he went through the hassle of hoping over the counter to get the games and had enough sense to think, "let me grab a bag while I'm at it," then flee.

How did he have time to think like that? How did I have time to wonder why he did that?

Trowble (XBL/PSN)

this is exactly where i live!

bkforyou

God damn i hate cops

snk429

Haha, holy crap, that's where I went to buy my EOJ cards a while back.

Silvadeus

yeah I'm sure the guy who kidnapped his daughter when she was 7 then kept her underground in a soundproof basement behind a 650 pound concrete door for 24 YEARS got the idea from a video game (for whole story see:[gizmodo.com])
But any how I love hoe the media tries to use video games as a scape goat for everything,so remember kids if someone at your school is using illegal narcotics it's because of video games,if someone gets murdered it's because video game corrupted the murderer,if someone....ah screw it you all get my point.

SirNirian

Had this crime happened a week ago and not involved GTA IV as a piece of stolen merchandise, this would have simply been "A local GameStop was robbed today. The crook was found and has been arrested. ... in other news...".

But, no. It's more like,"GTAIV is screwing TV and movies so, let's screw GTAIV". So sad.

Eclectified

I love how the ONLY game out of $140+ (like what 3-5 games) that the ONLY one they name is the GTA4. Screw the News, they don't give you all the facts, just the ones that make them look good, other people look bad, and make influential people become agoraphobics.

TheExiledLeader

@snk429:

And I hate dumbasses who break the law.

jello44

that dude must have been on something...he was going nuts in the car...

mouse5050

Several games INCLUDING GTA. What were the other games? He obviously wanted them all. Why not place his thieving on the other games in the list? Maybe he had to take those games in order to possess the power of the Legenday Dark Knight Sparda.

Listen close "News" a$$ Wipes: GAMES DIDN'T MAKE HIM A THEIF. Either the way he was brought up or the crow he hangs with. Hell, maybe he's just a bonified dumb butt.

IcerDragoon

Wow that anchorwoman is hot!... ummm

This post was not about that right?...

Damn!, sorry :D

Kirth Gersen

The soccer mom they were interviewing was probably there with her husband (off camera) waiting for the store to re-open so he could buy gta 4.

Kotaku, please give us an edit button.

TorchedIce

Well... if he would have had his rocket launcher...

TorchedIce

That newscast felt a bit all over the place. The thief stole a bunch of games, one of which happened to be GTA4, and they rail on how it must've affected him, despite him most likely stealing it because he had never played it before. And then they do a quick turnaround and have other people say that it isn't the games fault, and the thief's. And then they start going into the sales of the game. I mean, they're covering a robbery, right? What the heck...?

Shadowmist

That little kid which was in arms of that quick to make judgement mom will have gloomy future, if even now his/her mom is able to make such quick judgement over videogames ...

Bird59

omg people! games make you steal stuff!!!
This never happened before you know! Lets blame whatever is new and popular simple to make F***ing news!
Stupid, stupid media... *shakes head*

simmo

$145? So he grabed 2 copies of GTA and 2 Wii Wheels?

MURFEGGS

This is the sort of guy who goes "First!" in forums.

drivenstorm

Yeah, so a dude steals a handful of games to feed his addiction. To meth, most likely. Lazy, sensationalist journalism. You gotta love it.

SundaySundayFnC

I think that all these people that claim games make people act out are on to something. Just the other day I played some Pixel Junk Monsters and when I was done I built some towers around my house so I could destroy my neighbors.

amponymouse

I'm confused, the reporter is blaming GTA IV. Saying he's acting out what he played.

...and yet he just stole it, hadn't even played it yet.

Did I miss something? Might be too early in the morning for me.

Twisk

Since when is petty theft TV-newsworthy? Oh, I get it. Videogames are bad. At least they called them art, that's kinda new to me.

StartRunning

LMFAO MIRAMESA BLVD!! My family in San Diego literally lives like 5 minute walk from there!!! AHAHAHAHAHA I gotta ask my cousin about this!!

kingme

The other game was link's cross bow training.. HAHA.. No I'm kidding.. but that would be funny!

xpnet

While they're completely misinformed about the game as always I think we have to give them credit for actually presenting the other side of argument at the end.

Shavo

People have been robbing stores stores as far back as they've been around, I don't know why the woman is blaming entertainment.

scottyman218

The media is ridiculous...why must all psychos be tagged with being corrupted by games?

Aside from the point, the highlight of the clip was definitely the cop: "Do you wanna get tazed?!"

melchior

$145? What is that, two games and a stick of gum?

pg13

It's a shame, the people who work at that Gamestop are really cool guys too. I hope they're ok.

Calculator_Kid

My game was reserved at this Gamestop, I live in San Diego so I went to pick it up and they where closed for a Extra 2 hours, So I was kinda angry for not knowing the reason so I just went to Best Buy instead to pick up a copy.

LobsterBreeder

so they sold it to a paying customer... i bet he paid for the game full price like they always charged for a opened box game, in this case - stolen game.

JessMeNU

@HfAsianInvasion: Thta's because in San Diego news, that's the best they can come up with which is a reason why I don't watch the news down here any more.

He stole $149 worth in game? So that's about 2 games haha. but I guess it's better saying 149 rather then 2. I live right next to that gamestop as well and I'm sorry I missed it all.

tripur

This is clearly news.

HfAsianInvasion

@mrplow8: Instead of getting mad at the news for covering this, I think that gamers should be mad at the idiot who tried to steal the game. Morons like that give gamers a bad name.

Wrong. We should be mad at the media for spoon feeding this drivel to the masses. The media gave the label "gamer" to him. He's also someone's son, brother, cousin, a student, a citizen. So I guess morons like that give all (sons/brothers/cousins/ students/citizens) a bad name?

placebofud

On CNN earlier, the anchors said flat-out "Gee I had no idea gamers were above 30." Silly adults still don't know we've skillfully infiltrated their ranks.

Also, that CNN tech correspondent is really cute.

Wookiee1

Well, aside from the retarded news reporter, I have to give them props for including the off-screen quote, "Crazy people are going to do crazy things, whether it's stealing a video game or robbing a bank."

psychobaka

@Cruithne: Yep.. I noticed that too. He's not a child, and if he's 27 years old, the only "violent" games he was "raised" on were probably Super Mario Bros. and Sonic the Hedgehog.

People are idiots.

goddessakasha

Slow day on the news?

Hylian

Why do people act so violently AFTER they are taken by the police?
I mean its like they already got you, there's nothing you can do and then you just start doing anything like kicking the windows?

HELLSRIDER

gotta love the conclusion that video games = cause of all evil in the world.

glowpasa

Omgzz 145 dollars!!
That's like.. three games!

MetaKz

yea he had many other games but he must have been imitating GTAIV, I hate news reporters that talk S***, I guess i'm gonna go out steal a car and and find some shop to rob because ive been playing GTA for the last three days,
(I can't hot wire this car guess i will walk)

progenisis

You can almost hear the people from the news saying: "Told 'ya games makes people crazy and violent".

No, really. The guy could've based his actions on the game, shure. But being crazy as he is, he could've based it on movies, a book, or pretty much anything else.

And the worst part is: While reporters go hunting for details that could link a crime to a videogame, other, more important and unbiased news might be happening elsewhere.

They just won't drop it. It's like violence and games suddenly became more important than the country going into an economical crisis and stuff like that.

Something like a scapegoat.

Bokusatsu_Tenshi

I for one wouldn't let them take me alive. You lose ALL your weapons that way.

Mr.SithNinja

Thats block away from my house

Dudermomo

Too bad he didn't have the chance to activate his cheat code to lower the wanted level.

Yam

White. F*cking. Trash.

SirCletus

I really don't think he was a gamer. Probably just a druggie trying to get some more drugs by selling GTA 4 for double the price.......

SwetaNycteus