"Wouldn't these kids not having jobs or getting an education have more to do with it?"

Your job should be reporting the news, not being so biased about it. Even if we know because of this site, what your posture, regarding the subject might be.

jove

Did we get a second opinion on those subtitles?

futurebiblehero

@Insomnia Bob: First, thanks for being a dick. That's really useful. I'm not disputing at all that many of the more violent places in the world are also among the poorest-- and have the fewest economic opportunities-- or that many violent criminals aren't very well educated. I just don't think I've ever encountered a single violent person who was so fucking dumb that his untutored brain thought violence and criminal behaviors were suddenly great options. These knife attacks, from what I've read, haven't seemed to be any kind of attempts at greed-motivated crime-- the only ones I'm much familiar with have seemed to be thrill attacks, which actually would seem to me to be the kind most likely to be suddenly instigated by behavioral triggers. Like sudden traumas, bad memories of abuse, or scenes of graphic material like you'd find in adult films and games. I wasn't saying this must be how it is, I was just saying how it seemed to me. But please, respond and insult me again. I really enjoyed it the first time. Ass.

wild homes has adopted evidentialism

They already know what kind of effects those things have even as adults. Also, violent kids tend to like violent entertainment. Just turn on any fps on xbox360 and listen to about the many ways you can call someones mother or what the color of your skin really means.

VakeroRokero

god its many things

Parents
School
other Kids
TV
Movies
Music
Video Games

What it boils down to is....Environment and if your Environment sucks and you don't have the Ability to rise above it its gonna swallow you and your gonna become a very nasty product of that Environment.

Raziel Dune

And he is such an athority on such things, right?

EmeraldDragon

Even if it turns out that pot+video games=violence, his opinion is uninformed and he has nothing at the moment to back up his arguments. If he wrote his college thesis on socio-economic factors vs. entertainment media then maybe he has a leg to stand on. But he's a songwriter, there's no reason to even ask for his opinion on the matter in the first place.

sarcasmOD

I really, really like Oasis, but this guy just got word that games causes violance, and imagines a situation where young people take drugs, kill people in a game, then decide it's cool to do so in real life.

People make up these situations which don't exist; it's really a big problem for the industry as it will not be accepted by the majority with such stories.

QC8472

I don't even know who this guy is but I already really don't like him.

lenandude

Maybe it's your music, Gallagher. I mean, just a couple decades ago rock was the music of the devil.

Lancehead

Says Gallagher, the philosopher.

Cris_Spiegel

Sure, a drug addicted (former?) alcoholic who constantly is in the middle of a fight with his brother is the best source of opinions on topics like this. But hell, he makes some great music.

Sammo21

What's up with the first sentence?

"The recent increase of youth crime has Oasis songwriter Noel Gallagher."

You heard it here first, Noel Gallagher has been abducted by youth crime!

sovietspartan

@wild homes has adopted evidentialism: That's a good point. Cause, I mean, if you take a look at all the most violent places in the world, what do they all have in common? Violent Video... oh, wait, no.
It's poverty and lack of education. Sorry, my bad. Darn.
And here I was, totally convinced that your gut instinct about society was correct.

Insomnia Bob

Gallagher brothers are morons. It could just as easily be said that their emo crap music has caused more wrist cutting and violence than games have. Games come down to parental responsibility and the parents should be watching their kids and well actually parenting.

tawni

Yeah noel was always more of an asshole. He just needs to work shit out with his brother and start making albums again. Even then his opinion on gaming will mean less than zero to me but at least i'll have something new to listen to.

snakepliskin

@wild homes has adopted evidentialism:
Then tell me...why has violence always more prevalent in low-income areas?

The less education you have, the less money you can make. As it becomes harder to make the money just to pay day-to-day bills, the more desperate people will become. Of course, there are a lot of factors that would lead to someone performing a violent crime, but yes, education and living conditions are definitely a couple of them.

Darkest Daze

Why is... why is he talking?

shini

So, it's not the "super skunk" that's to blame, but the video games? That makes no sense.

GoKeithGo

Personally, the only times I've ever conducted a violent act against another human being is while "Wonderwall" was playing.

Stick THAT in your pipe and smoke it, ya stupid hippy.

I liked him better when he just hit watermelons with a mallet.

Insomnia Bob

Well if I ever decide to flip out, I'll say that I was playing an Oasis song in Rock Band, and the lyrics really spoke to me.

DigiMish

wow...that guy is an idiot. Is idea of "guessing" just shows how stupid he is to something so serious. You don't guess, you should make a rational answer or have no comment.

Xcite79

Isn't it funny how the more locked down and nanny-stateish the UK becomes, the more crime goes up?

Darkest Daze

I'm not a fan of the idea that violent games lead to violence, but I think violent games are more likely than being uneducted or being unemployed to lead to knife-related violence. That's just me.

wild homes has adopted evidentialism

I need this guy needs to have a nice, smooth and refreshing Coors Light to clear his thoughts.

Ride the Silver Bullet man....

Ride the Silver Bullet........

Figcoinc

i am pretty confident that all "super skunk" has contributed to is inaction.

youareivan

Well, Noel always was the jerkier one.

unangbangkay

Probably a lot of factors.. Unstable lives, no education, drugs, and so forth..

Katorok

"Wouldn't these kids not having jobs or getting an education have more to do with it?"

Indeed Brian.

dead_red_eyes

@Poochy: You need to do some research before turning into an asshole and saying the people that run this site are immature.

sarcasmOD

Who was that woman who was spreading the lies about Mass Effect a few months ago? This reminds me of her. It's the picture. I know it's just a random pic, but it just screams "I know I haven't researched or even thought through my statements, but I don't really care because it's not like it matters whether it wrongfully blames video games or not. Oh well, damage done. Time to go back to the other thing I do that has nothing to do with video games or street violence without any consequences for what I said!" In future posts of this nature, can we have a more mugshotty looking picture? I at least want to fantasize that these people were arrested or beaten up for acting like morons.

gamadaya

@sovietspartan:
Yeah, look at this one from an article below: "Two teens were apparently arguing over a Sony PSP in Jacksonville, Florida ended in a shooting." Ashcraft, are you sleeping well? Take a rest and come back, we need you healthy for Maximum Risky and Mini-Bash/Micro-Bash stories!

Hikaru

Jesus Christ...

There are people calling Noel Gallagher an asshole, and why?
Because they read the sensational headline "UK Oasis Guitarist Reckons Violent Games Cause Knife Crime" and don't bother to read what Noel actually said.

Would it kill any of you to just fucking acknowledge for once that maybe, just MAYBE playing violent video games MIGHT influence someone--however fucked up they might already be--to commit an act of violence? It's the same shit over and over again with Kotaku's editors, and most of the commenters here are no different. None of you feel like violence in games has any real bearing on people's decisions to do right or wrong---that's fine. That just means you're probably not under the influence of drugs while playing, and you're probably not already kind of fucked up in the head. GREAT! But must all the Brians, Michaels, and Lukes of the world jump into a frenzied state anytime someone dare suggest that violent video games may have influenced someone to commit a crime? It's incredible immature.

When I was 14 years old I was ready to defend my love of video games with my life. I was completely against censorship of any sort, and if you told me that violent video games turned people into killers I simply would have laughed. BUT....I grew up. Apparently Brian Ashcraft hasn't.

"Wouldn't these kids not having jobs or getting an education have more to do with it?"

No one said anything about the kids not having a job or an education. Noel's only statement was that if kids are staying up all night smoking weed and playing violent video games, maybe they COULD become---dare I say that most forbidden of words---desensitized.

Poochy

Way to be unfair, Bash. Of course Cannabis and Bad Education combined will be more influential than video games, simple math will say that 2>1!

This type of sensationalism is mad, I tell you, MAD. *rips out somebody else's hair and eats it* MAD!

Maldron

Cum hoc ergo propter hoc.

Correlation does not imply causation.

Instead of believing what 'people' say, he should critically analyze the situation and come to his own conclusion. Even if video games did cause desensitization, aggression, and/or violence, they don't put a weapon in the hand of the criminal. The problem is multi-faceted and placing the blame on the media's favorite scapegoat isn't going to change a thing. Thinking about and analyzing the situation would be a lot more helpful than whining and guessing. Ashcraft's question is a great example of thinking about a problem, rather than taking the effortless course of action and blaming the scapegoat.

Wouldn't these kids not having jobs or getting an education have more to do with it?

天雷

Says the man who could barely sit in a room with his brother without a fistfight breaking out.

scottieb2

Ignoring the source which is laughable in itself, but he's throwing weed into this? lol.....lol.....lol

You might as well say violent crime is due to any other random 2 things that pops into your head and that would be just as believable/ridiculous.

Eating apple pie and excercising are increasing youth crime

PipTheLip

LOL MUSICIANS

*facepalm*

Altima NEO

Well I care what a guitarist has to say about physiology why?

deathtastic

I was up in Liverpool for a week a couple of weeks ago and even on the news there it's every single night... People say it's through Oasis's horrible music and I guess that's got something to do with it. If kids are sitting up all night smoking super skunk [cannabis] and they come so desensitised to crime because they're listening to such crappy music, it's really, really scary.

I base this on the same thing Gallagher bases his comment... nothing!

Ghar

Yeah, it HAS to be the video games! Not the drugs, no! All the drugs do is make them cooler, that's all.

kingofrain

@sarcasmOD:
"Bias? Childish tendencies? Panties in a twist? From one fucking line that says "Wouldn't these kids not have jobs or getting an education have more to do with it?".

No. From years of Kotaku editors proving their bias by posting non-newsworthy articles such as these. It proves more than anything else that they are ridiculously sensitive to this particular issue. Violent video games aren't in danger of being outlawed, people. And if they were---what would you do then? God forbid you actually play something that doesn't involve maiming someone or stealing massive amounts of money from armored trucks.

As someone who started playing video games when he was six years old (on an old Atari 2600), I say this with the utmost of conviction and sincerity: They're just video games, people. Why give a shit if someone else thinks they can densensitize human beings to violence? It sounds as likely to do so as watching violent films would. Should you really care so much to actually call Noel Gallagher an asshole or suddenly start slamming Oasis' music when otherwise you would have just gone about your business? Be real, man.

Poochy

@Poochy:
Except that they didn't freak over it. At all even. And you have to ask, even if violent games are PART of the problem, are they part of the problem in the same way that my farting is part of the reason greenhouse gases are building up in the atmosphere.

gamadaya

@sarcasmOD: or were you talking about something completely different that totally went over my head?

sarcasmOD

@gamadaya: I have this terrible allergy to people talking about stuff they don't understand. Drives me batty. I feel this compulsive urge to explain to them WHY they're stupid.

Not saying I'm RIGHT... it's a pretty jerky thing to do. But there it is.

Insomnia Bob

@gamadaya: :/ sorry I guess I was a little out of hand. I'll drop it.

sarcasmOD

@Insomnia Bob:
While I don't like the flame war that's starting, I do have to say, the little pizza reactor analogy hit the nail right on the freaking head.

gamadaya

@Poochy: I point out flaws in your argument and suddenly I'm an immature zealot? You aren't Rush Limbaugh are you?

And as I said before I guess does not mean maybe. It doesn't.

sarcasmOD

There is no one to blame for crime but a plethora of bad decisions, free will, and influence. If someone has become desensitized, whether it be from TV, games, or personal experience, these things all play a roll in decision making. The same way music has an effect on your overall mood and outlook on life, likewise with other forms of media, especially video games. The freedom of espression through given mediums has always been, and will always be, a catalyst for action. Good or bad.

Is it games fault in entirety? No. Does it leave an effect on people? Absolutely. The rate of drive-offs and hit-and-run has never been higher. As a matter of fact, my brother was on his honeymoon this past week, and a teenager from Florida ran into him. The teen backed up, and sped off around him, through a red light, and down a back road. I'm 21 myself, but that kind of behavior was unheard of 30 years ago.

It has an effect. Death is laughable. Seeing someones' plight is entertainment today, as it would have derived a response of sympathy a generation ago. Reality TV is another source for finding peoples' woes entertaining.

/shrug.

kRaSh32

The way I see it, if you're hopping on video games as a root cause, you're also hopping on tv (including news), movies, music, etc.

I've always been more in the camp that those mediums are a reflection of society rather than mediums shaping society.

If you just flip a switch and start playing Leave it to Beaver, Little House on the Prairie, Pac-Man, Sound of Music, etc will everything become all happy and shiny? Heck, that will probably increase violence! lol.

If you start throwing might and could into it, then you can pretty much tie anything to it like......Cap'n Crunch and Monopoly

PipTheLip

@sarcasmOD:

"You need to do some research before turning into an asshole and saying the people that run this site are immature."

And you need to stop sucking their dicks if you're going to get so offended about it.

Like I said, I viciously defended video games when I was a lad, but then I grew up. I'm 24 years old and that's old enough not to freak out over someone suggesting that violent games has anything to do with kids killing people.

"also, there is no MIGHT about it. He says ...I guess that's got something to do with it." Not that might be a factor, or could be the cause but I guess that it IS."

Calm down. That immaturity that I mentioned earlier? OMG U HAZ IT. This is evident in how you misconstrued what he actually said.

What YOU interprted it as:

"Not that might be a factor, or could be the cause but I guess that it IS."

What he actually said:

"People say it's through violent video games and I guess (i.e. probably, maybe) that's got something to do with it (i.e. it's not the whole problem, but it's probably part of it)."

Your pre-adolescent zeal betrays you. Think twice before you accuse ME of not doing research ("OMG U R SUCH AN ASSHOLE I HOPE U GET BANNED").

Poochy

@sarcasmOD:
The fact that this was even posted does actually show bias. It's not that newsworthy, and Poochy's little analysis of why it appeared does make sense. Even if the writers don't have a bias, the readers certainly do.

gamadaya

@wild homes has adopted evidentialism: I bashed you because your statement was, if you'll pardon the overused sentiment, RETARDED.

"Well, I deliver pizzas for a living, but it SEEMS TO ME, if you're talking about cooling a nuclear reactor, you should use Mountain Dew."

If you can't be bothered to at least do some basic research into the subject you are speaking on, please, spare the rest of us your personal delusions. Spouting your baseless opinion on the root cause of endemic social violence when thousands of research papers and articles on the subject are a Google search away is just, well, RETARDED.

In essence, you did exactly what Gallagher did. You threw out a statement on a subject you had a marginal understanding of, at best. Hence, sarcasm. But I'll make you a deal...
You try not to apply your personal gut instinct to science, and I'll try not to say mean things to you.*

* - I'm not actually going to stop saying mean things.

Insomnia Bob

He recons that games cause violence, eh?

I recon that Oasis stopped being relevant about 6 years ago.

/shrug

Deal with it.

ShirtNinja

@Poochy:Bias? Childish tendencies? Panties in a twist? From one fucking line that says "Wouldn't these kids not have jobs or getting an education have more to do with it?". Go lobby a congressman to ban video games instead of insulting the editors.

sarcasmOD

Pfft why are any of you even taking oasis guitarist seriously!?

He's not someone who studies the psychology of children and video games for a living. He's not an authority on this topic whatsoever regarding violence as a result of videogaming. In my sociology lecture in first year the prof said sarcastically (I'm paraphrasing) "Look we all know that video games does NOT equal violence in small children or adults for that matter.But video games is just ONE contributing factor in a plethora of situational factors relating to violence. It is the combination of many factors that lead to violence or aggression. To say it's all video games is just a horrible simplification of the matter."

To blame drugs or video games as the sole factors to violence is just.. stupid.

Yumayah

I'm pretty sure there's a higher of chance of someone who had to listen to the same Oasis song for 24 hours straight stabbing someone than if you had him play a game for the same time period.

Shinryoma

"If kids are sitting up all night smoking super skunk [cannabis] and they come so desensitised to crime because they're playing these video games, it's really, really scary."

Being desensitised and not having a brain are two completely different things. I'm desensitised to violence and there are many reasons that may be so, however I don't run around shanking people. And if that really is the case, maybe society should be more worried they failed to control people by fear and intimidation instead of promoting logic and reason. Oh right, that would make a person too sentient.

Fuck, religion is a lot more dangerous than video games. Holy shit I must be talking out of my ass now.

Replica23

@jove:

That's what I've been saying all along, but it seems one thing you just can't change about Kotaku editors' is their childish tendency to get their panties in a twist because someone insinuated that their beloved video games inspire violence in the minds of impressionable, often times stupid teenagers. But they are the lords of this jungle, and as kings they continuously write their dribble, content in their self-manifested reality that they are incredibly clever and most deserving of the title "videogame journalist". Oh, but I've insulted their intelligence. I must flee, for I fear the so-called Banhammer...

P.S. Believe it or not, they aren't all as opinionated as they seem, however. They know very well that sensational headlines that infuriate the masses of VVGPs (Violent Video Game Players) lead to lots of hits, which potentially leads to more ad-clicking, which leads to more money in their already fat wallets. Daddy needs new shoes, baby.

Poochy

@sarcasmOD: and before you say NO HE SAYS GUESS, saying I guess signifies reluctant acceptance, not exploring a possibility.

sarcasmOD

@Poochy: also, there is no MIGHT about it. He says ...I guess that's got something to do with it." Not that might be a factor, or could be the cause but I guess that it IS.

sarcasmOD

@wild homes has adopted evidentialism: So it begins. The moment I saw your comment, I knew somebody was going to give you hell about it. I don't necessarily agree, but I'm not going to jump on your back about it since you never stated your comment as fact. Congrats, you've now become -- or was depending on when this post shows up-- the pariah of this topic. Arm yourself well my friend.

@Topic: Noel Gallagher saying something that pisses people off? What else is new. What can you say really? A celebrity makes a vague and generalizing comment and what are we supposed to do about it? Analyze it? To be honest, it's hard to take anything Gallagher says seriously when considering his history. He says what he wants without much thought in how clear or harmful his comments are before expressing them, so this doesn't come as much of a surprise.

Either way, he says "People say it's through violent video games and I guess that's got something to do with it". In a sense, he's only marginally right. Depending on the person, videogames can help motivate an already disturbed individual toward violence, but the same can be said about anything else. Lack or presence of an authority figure, or proper upbringing can help contribute, but society in general has changed.

Kids today grow up in an era of desensitization and naturally adapt to it. Never have we lived in a time where access to violence and human depravity can be seen at any age, at any moment, and at anytime we want then today. The doorway is open every time we go online, open a newspaper, use X-Box live, listen to music, read a book or simply walk out our door. Nothing has changed, no, but distribution has definitely become easier, and when you get some kid whose already whacked in the head with an abundance of information to fuel his aggression and insanity, someone is likely to get hurt eventually.

Yes, videogames can contribute to enabling a violent person toward violent acts, but videogames can't replace individuality or society. There are too many factors to take into consideration that predate a persons decision to commit a crime that has nothing to do with videogames. I can say videogames are sometimes a factor in how somebody can be influenced into committing a crime, and might be right depending on the situation, but you'll always be wrong if you use them as a scapegoat to why you finally feigned from personal responsibility.

KeroseneClimax

He has a point. Desensitization to a certain element can really effect you. I've seen so many horror movies and read Death Note so obsessively that the idea of death is numb and null to me, it's just plain meh. Yet I know people who will cry at the withering of a flower. My desensitization to death could make me more prone to not caring about someone's death, and that's where it gets dangerous.

However, I know better than to cause that sort of anguish on any human being, despite it being illegal and morally wrong in my opinion.

So he does have a point, desensitization is a dangerous thing, but it's not the key that unlocks the murder. These kids should be doing something with their lives, and have a good parental, disciplinary structure to guide their adolescence.

Ryuk

@Oyn:
I'm not defending Noel Gallagher, I'm defending his POV.
I don't listen to Oasis---in fact, the last song I can even remember by them was "All Around The World", and what was that--1998? Perhaps that WAS the last time they were relevant. I wouldn't know. But I do know that sarcasmOD will respond to this with another "lulz its because u boght ET for atari2600" statement because he is, essentially, a dick. An overzealous dick. And judging from the fact that he's never really responding to me calling him out earlier on his Noel Gallagher Quote shenanigans, one that can't be arsed to read.

Poochy

@Insomnia Bob:
Of course I do. But I don't deliver pizza for a living either. That pizza guy just got lucky and really had no place stating his opinions on the subject of nuclear coolants. What if he had said Coke? Somebody could have gotten hurt.

gamadaya

@Poochy: If you look at the bigger picture this type of topic creates a lot of discussion which increases page hits which then equals money for Kotaku and Gawker. You can't forget after all it is a business that's being run here.

That being said, Noel Gallagher has always made stupid statements anyway. He should just shut up and go record another album instead of discussing topics he knows nothing about.

kylo4

@gamadaya:
Sorry I meant to add
@youareivan:
Really? Then why the hell is anybody defending this guy for any reason?

gamadaya

@gamadaya: You and I BOTH know that Mountain Dew makes an excellent nuclear coolant.

Insomnia Bob

@Insomnia Bob:
"I'm having a bit of trouble pinning down the source of your argument... but I have a feeling it has something to do with a tear stained Oasis poster."

Game, Set, Match.

In regard to Noel Gallagher, he's just part of that media machine that is, besides absolutely ignorant, totally FRIGHTENED of videogames. Videogames are threatening TV, Movies, Music and some other fields with their growing popularity, and the ones working in such fields see them as the enemy. So they use slander in the lame attempt to put a limit to their growth. As someone once told, they're fighting a loosing battle. Tomorrow's rulers of the world will be the ones playing Metal Gear Solid, Grand Theft Auto and Gran Turismo today.

Abriael

@Poochy: Less insults and more responding to my actual arguments please.

sarcasmOD

@youareivan: @Poochy:
Oh, the commenter's. But you can't blame us for being pissed off at this guy. I'm biased as hell. Even if what he said was remotely true, I would still be angry at the bad press he's giving video games. And I don't think my analogy was that silly. Sure, violent games have billions of times more of an effect on crime than my farting has on global warming, but in the end, I still rank both at about 0%. Neither is statistically significant. To label either one as a significant part of the problem is irresponsible.

gamadaya

@Poochy:
"No. From years of Kotaku editors proving their bias by posting non-newsworthy articles such as these. It proves more than anything else that they are ridiculously sensitive to this particular issue. Violent video games aren't in danger of being outlawed, people. And if they were---what would you do then? God forbid you actually play something that doesn't involve maiming someone or stealing massive amounts of money from armored trucks.

As someone who started playing video games when he was six years old (on an old Atari 2600), I say this with the utmost of conviction and sincerity: They're just video games, people. Why give a shit if someone else thinks they can densensitize human beings to violence? It sounds as likely to do so as watching violent films would. Should you really care so much to actually call Noel Gallagher an asshole or suddenly start slamming Oasis' music when otherwise you would have just gone about your business? Be real, man."

I like how you say people are being too sensitive and care too much about this when clearly you also cared enough to
1)Actually read the article.
2)Read some of the comments here.
3)Post your own comments.
4)Keep posting defending your self.

Seems pretty hypocritical huh? I DARE you to stop caring about this article, all posts, and everything on this current page. Go ahead, just stop caring and x out of this page.

Ghar

@sarcasmOD:

"Frankly I just think you bought E.T. with hard earned money from a lemonade stand expecting it to be the best game ever, and from that day on you vowed to get revenge on the video game industry."

I'm a video gamer, dumbass. I just don't equate "anti-video game violence" stance with a hatred of the entire video game industry. And the fact that you do means it's time to grow up, Peter Pan. The real world is a lot more complicated than you're making it out to be. But I won't dare use this comment box as a platform for my anti-Rockstar sentiments; instead I use it to point out the flaws in weak comments such as yours, and to point out that Kotaku indeed quite biased.

Poochy

@Poochy: I think you calling other people immature is almost as ironic as this article to begin with. Why are you defending this guy when he is well-known for violent outbursts and general asshattery, then jumping up people's backsides when they post their opinion? And also, if you have such a problem with kotaku you could, I dunno... stop coming here.

Oyn

@sarcasmOD: @Insomnia Bob: "I'm having a bit of trouble pinning down the source of your argument... but I have a feeling it has something to do with a tear stained Oasis poster." I still think it has to do with him buying ET for his Atari 2600.

sarcasmOD

@Poochy: I'm going to swat you on the nose with the first amendment, now.
"The price of freedom is eternal vigilance." Just because they haven't banned violent video games YET doesn't mean they won't. Every. Single. DAY. You hear about some special interest group, or wayward congressman/senator/mayor who thinks it's a capital idea to censor violent video games. You say Kotaku is overly sensitive. I say, "You aren't sensitive ENOUGH."

I resent the implication that the people who DO take such matters are virtual sociopaths. No, it's not about exalting violence for it's own sake. It's a simple premise... if they censor THIS, eventually, they'll censor something else. And then you wake up one day an a Fireman is at the door, asking to see your book collection.

As for the "Gr, Kotaku biased" bit... well, it IS a sodding video game site. I'm no completely sure, now, but I think the NRA's newsblog might be a bit titled towards a certain point of view.

Completely objective journalism is a bullshit premise, anyhow. Even the best, most honest and objective-aspiring newsman will let a little hint of opinion slip through.

I'm having a bit of trouble pinning down the source of your argument... but I have a feeling it has something to do with a tear stained Oasis poster.

Insomnia Bob

@Poochy: Are you saying that methane doesn't damage the atmosphere? Because it does. Maybe not from humans but from cows.

sarcasmOD

@gamadaya:
"Except that they didn't freak over it. At all even."

I meant the commenters. The ones calling Gallagher an asshole over this. It's a bit silly, considering he only said he "guesses" that violent games have something to do with a particular slew of killings in a particular area. It's amazing how people rush to defend their hobbies, as if it were they themselves that were under attack.

"And you have to ask, even if violent games are PART of the problem, are they part of the problem in the same way that my farting is part of the reason greenhouse gases are building up in the atmosphere."

Now you're just being silly. You and I both know that if violent video games contribute to crime, they surely contribute in a much larger way than the release of methane could ever damage the Earth's atmosphere (i.e., not at all).

Poochy

@gamadaya: sometimes you just gotta lay down the law

sarcasmOD

This is what I understand from the passage Brian posted:

"I cannot formulate my own opinion so I'm just going to agree with that guy"

For_the_lulz

@sarcasmOD:
Yeah, but I would just say "It's Deoxys," and then ban the dissenters. I don't know if that can be considered negotiating.

gamadaya

@Poochy: Frankly I just think you bought E.T. with hard earned money from a lemonade stand expecting it to be the best game ever, and from that day on you vowed to get revenge on the video game industry.

sarcasmOD

@Poochy:
Here is your flaw: I guess=maybe. That is wrong, and I told you so.

sarcasmOD

@InsidiousTuna:
That actually sums up what everyone should be thinking.

@Poochy:
They aren't in danger of being outlawed here. In America that is. In England and Australia, it's another story. And I don't think Americans are afraid of them being outlawed. I think that they are worried about the effect that stricter regulations and bad press may have on the video game industry.

gamadaya

@gamadaya: You know, I bet a lot of sites would pay you to be a "flame war negotiator". Imagine the pride you would feel after ending a raging dispute over what the most powerful Pokemon is.

sarcasmOD

@sarcasmOD:
"I point out flaws in your argument and suddenly I'm an immature zealot?"

Except...you DIDN'T point out any flaws in my argument.
I actually turned the tables and exposed you twisting his words around to mean something they didn't.

Re-read my post (SLLOOOWWLLY this time), Mr. Limbaugh.

Poochy

@Poochy:

maybe you should check out a bio of noel gallagher before you defend him. anyone that hopes members of a rival band (blur) will "catch aids and die" in an inteview with the observer is an asshole.

youareivan

@Poochy: Well if your opinion is based on past incidents and not this particular one why are you bringing it up now? And since they post their email on the site, why don't you just send them a nice email clearly stating your argument and backing it up with evidence instead of bashing them in the comments?

sarcasmOD

Yeah...thanks for the opinion. Now get back to what you know, playing guitar and walking off stage when your drunken brother pisses you off.

Arklop

@sarcasmOD:
Oh, sort of. I was referring to another flame war. It doesn't really matter. Right now I'm just sort of excited by the fact that I had the power to stop a flame war :). I'm like superman, but crappier and on the internet.

gamadaya

Also; as a direct influence on violence...

If you had to pick of the three listed in this post, which would you say would more directly affect a teenagers' acceptance of knife-crime?

1) Witnessing knife-crimes in a game that reward you for it.
2) Not learning math in school.
3) Not having a job.

I personally lawled.

kRaSh32

LOL Oasis

InsidiousTuna

@Poochy: Uhh yeah...saying that you wasted your money on the ET game an were scarred for life is rather farcical.

sarcasmOD

@illiterati: "

Nice sensationalism, Kotaku. Irrelevant former pop star says "and I guess that's got something to do with it" and our right to video games is under attack?

What is this, the fucking NRA? Just b/c idiots like Thompson go to ridiculous extremes to condemn video games, going to ridiculous extremes in their defense does not better.
"Guns don't kill people, people do." Yes, people with guns!

Let's all acknowledge that exposure to violent media DOES inspire violence in SOME individuals, and while recognizing that the five o'clock news is the most violent program on television, some video games come pretty damn close.

It is just one more in a sea of factor, but it IS a factor, so don't go all FOX NEWS on us because some washed up has-been makes an offhand remark. "And I guess that's got something to do with it." The fucking nerve of him!"

Thanks. Now if Ghar, sarcasmOD, and and gamdaya only knew how to read..

Poochy

@illiterati: There's something to be said for lambasting people who make public statements based on evidence that, at best, is watery, and at worst, has been proved FALSE by other studies. (I.e, violent videogames = crime.)

Insomnia Bob

@sarcasmOD: "I'm pretty sure that a joke about you hating video games is not the same as calling someone a dumbass."

Wait...that was supposed to be a joke?

Poochy

@Ghar: Just like he lost at E.T.

sarcasmOD

@Poochy:
Thanks for proving my last post correct.
The game, you've just lost it.

Ghar

@Spacehog85:

No, the name's really Matt; but I have a brother named Dick...

Poochy

@Poochy: I'm pretty sure that a joke about you hating video games is not the same as calling someone a dumbass.

sarcasmOD

@Poochy:
Fuck, I did? Cause that's what I was most worried about too. (In all seriousness, I did worry a little, but was to lazy to spell check it.)

gamadaya

Nice sensationalism, Kotaku. Irrelevant former pop star says "and I guess that's got something to do with it" and our right to video games is under attack?

What is this, the fucking NRA? Just b/c idiots like Thompson go to ridiculous extremes to condemn video games, going to ridiculous extremes in their defense does not better.
"Guns don't kill people, people do." Yes, people with guns!

Let's all acknowledge that exposure to violent media DOES inspire violence in SOME individuals, and while recognizing that the five o'clock news is the most violent program on television, some video games come pretty damn close.

It is just one more in a sea of factor, but it IS a factor, so don't go all FOX NEWS on us because some washed up has-been makes an offhand remark. "And I guess that's got something to do with it." The fucking nerve of him!

illiterati

@KeroseneClimax:
I don't know about the ease of access we have to scenes of violence being higher now that ever before. Remember public execution and flogging? Of course not, because that was a depraved practice that existed long ago (and still does today in many countries plagued by violence and totalitarian government). I've seen many people "die" in movies, and I've "killed" millions of people and creatures in video games, but I still have yet to see a person actually die. I think it would be a little different if I saw it for real.

gamadaya

@gamadaya: "I totally agree. And you know what? Mixed with some booze, a couple dozen pills, some illegal firearms, a violent history, and access to a tank, I think the Tellitubies could really cause somebody to snap and kill a bunch of people. We should really keep an eye on the influence Tellitubies has on impressionable youngsters."

It was hard enough to take your incredibly hyperbolic statement seriously to begin with, but then you had to go and misspell Teletubbies.

Poochy

@Poochy: Dick.

Spacehog85

@sarcasmOD:

"Oh my god, it is him!! And Jack hates video games because he was scarred for life by ET!"

Heeeeyy...thanks for proving my point for me! :)

Poochy

@sarcasmOD: "Would you please just tell me why your argument of I guess=maybe is not wrong?
Guess-A prediction about the outcome of something, typically made without factual evidence or support; To reach a partly (or totally) unqualified conclusion; to suppose (introducing a proposition of uncertain plausibility)"

I've never heard someone use "I guess" in that context. The "guess" that you are supplying the definition for is used in statements such as "my best guess is ___" Typically when someone says "Yeah, I guess" then they are uncertain and simply saying "yes, that's probably the case". Where you went wrong was when you read that because he said he guesses it has SOMETHING to do with it, for some inexplicable reason you translated it as "that IS the reason, and the only reason".

Poochy

@VakeroRokero:
I totally agree. And you know what? Mixed with some booze, a couple dozen pills, some illegal firearms, a violent history, and access to a tank, I think the Tellitubies could really cause somebody to snap and kill a bunch of people. We should really keep an eye on the influence Tellitubies has on impressionable youngsters.

gamadaya

@Insomnia Bob: Oh my god, it is him!! And Jack hates video games because he was scarred for life by ET! It all makes sense now.

sarcasmOD

Isn't some insane percentage of knife crime in the UK a result of muggers turning knives against people who try to use them to defend themselves? Maybe, just maybe, if people weren't getting scared shitless watching the news every night and seeing about how they could be KILLED AT ANY MOMENT then they wouldn't think "Holy shit I need to arm myself so I don't fucking die."

mhlaxp

@KeroseneClimax:

"Kids today grow up in an era of desensitization and naturally adapt to it. Never have we lived in a time where access to violence and human depravity can be seen at any age, at any moment, and at anytime we want then today. The doorway is open every time we go online, open a newspaper, use X-Box live, listen to music, read a book or simply walk out our door. Nothing has changed, no, but distribution has definitely become easier, and when you get some kid whose already whacked in the head with an abundance of information to fuel his aggression and insanity, someone is likely to get hurt eventually."

@Ryuk:

"He has a point. Desensitization to a certain element can really effect you. I've seen so many horror movies and read Death Note so obsessively that the idea of death is numb and null to me, it's just plain meh. Yet I know people who will cry at the withering of a flower. My desensitization to death could make me more prone to not caring about someone's death, and that's where it gets dangerous.

However, I know better than to cause that sort of anguish on any human being, despite it being illegal and morally wrong in my opinion.

So he does have a point, desensitization is a dangerous thing, but it's not the key that unlocks the murder. These kids should be doing something with their lives, and have a good parental, disciplinary structure to guide their adolescence."

These are the comments of the century. Read them and you will know the truth.

P.S. Death Note rocks!

Poochy

@Poochy: ...Jack, is that you? You sly dog. I had my suspicions, but broad statements insulting the intelligence of someone who plays a violent video-game? Gotta be you. Makes sense... guess you've got a lot of free times, these days.

Insomnia Bob

@Poochy:
Would you please just tell me why your argument of I guess=maybe is not wrong?
Guess-A prediction about the outcome of something, typically made without factual evidence or support; To reach a partly (or totally) unqualified conclusion; to suppose (introducing a proposition of uncertain plausibility)

sarcasmOD

@Ryuk:
I'm pretty desensitized to violent images and media too. Comes from years of playing violent games, watching slasher flicks, and looking at horrific medical photos. But that's the thing, I'm desensitized to violent media. Even though I've "trained" on GTA for years, if I ever killed an innocent person just waling down the street, it wouldn't matter how many hours I've spent killing people in a video game. Like you said, causing harm to an actual person is very unsettling. I don't think that violent media can really take this reaction away from people who have it in the first place.

gamadaya

@Ryuk: Even if that's all he meant, I'm still gonna color his comments stupid. There's a pretty big difference between "press X to decapitate" and actually getting out a machete and doing the deed. Two points on that...
1. Human beings are made to kill stuff. It's genetic, left over from the "holy crap, saber toothed tiger" days. At a certain point, those instincts override social niceties in order to make sure you survive. Having said that..
2. I see a lot of people just accepting as fact how they've been supposedly 'desensitized' by media. Trust me, folks. You aren't as desensitized as you think.

Insomnia Bob

@sarcasmOD:

"Less insults and more responding to my actual arguments please."

Right back at ya, kid.

Poochy

@Abriael: :Tomorrow's rulers of the world will be the ones playing Metal Gear Solid, Grand Theft Auto and Gran Turismo today."

I know. Considering the content of GTA IV and how they seem to up the ante with every new installment, it's a very scary thought.

But then again, your average GTA player works at McDonalds and isn't smart enough to get into politics.

Poochy

@Xcite79:

All I hear is "DAWWW BAWWW STUPID BAWW"

All he said, from what I concluded, was that these kids' desensitization to violence has made it easier for them to commit these violent crimes.

That however does not say what CAUSED them to commit these violent crimes in the first place, whether it be drugs, alcohol, bad relationships, unstable family life, addiction, medical problems, chronic depression, whatever.

Ryuk

As much as we love games we have to get a reality check. Movies, Tv, and now video games "glamorize violence" look at God Of War or grand Theft Auto, mixed them wih a few pills, some booze and you can lose reality...

VakeroRokero

@Poochy:
I don't think that has as much to do with laxing or morals as it does with increased population and the evening news' realization that stories like that get good ratings. Or maybe I just have different morals.

gamadaya

@Ghar: I don't care what you do or don't get out of reading those definitions. "I guess" is by no means a declaration of absolute certainty, at least not the way it's commonly used. And my point was, he wasn't saying that violent video games were definitely the sole cause of anything---some of you are still too thick to see that, despite the excellent comments from Illiterati, KeroseneClimax, and Ryuk.

Poochy

@gamadaya: Since I can't watch the evening news every day without hearing about several drive-by shootings, rapes, and mutilations. Maybe you should read/watch the news sometime. Do you honestly think it was this bad thirty to forty years ago?

Poochy

@Ghar:
Shit, maybe I'm getting confused. There's a lot of people arguing with this guy. I thought you were somebody else.

gamadaya

@Insomnia Bob: When was the issue "violent media" = "crime"?

I'll stop making cheap insults if you all stop making gross generalizations. My guess is that your brain simplifies it to
"violent video games cause crime" and not "violent video games contribute to crime", because it makes you feel good to stand up and defend your favorite past time (as if the entire industry was under attack, and not *mainly* Rockstar).

Poochy

@Poochy:
Since when has their been a world wide laxing of morals. I know it's subjective, but it seems to me like this past century has placed a lot more importance on non violence and acceptance than most previous ones.

gamadaya

@gamadaya: Um, did you read my other post? It had nothing to do with violence >_>

Ghar

@Poochy:

"Thanks. Now if Ghar, sarcasmOD, and and gamdaya only knew how to read.. "

Eh? You write that we all care too much about this topic and that you don't really care about these kind of statements. And yet if you really didn't care then WHY DID YOU EVEN READ THE ARTICLE? Cause, you know, I think most people just look at each headline and skip past the articles they don't care about.

And then you repeatedly post and resort to name calling in some of them. Dicks? That sounds like something a 12 year old would say when trying to be "cool".

Oh and some nice definitions of guess for you:
"1.To predict (a result or an event) without sufficient information.
2.To assume, presume, or assert (a fact) without sufficient information.
3.To form a correct estimate or conjecture of: guessed the answer.
4.To suppose; think: I guess he was wrong."

There is nothing about probable or probably in there. Please learn the definition and correct usage of a word before trying to tell others how you think it is being used.

Ghar

Wouldn't these kids having knives have more to do with this than video games?

dowingba

@munkah: Yeah, that's part of it.
And why do you think the parents were to lazy to teach their kids right from wrong? Because their parents were too lazy to teach them. And as long as there is a worldwide laxing of morals, this trend will simply continue on ad infinitum. People are too fucked up to teach their kids right from wrong, and to actually DISCIPLINE them--and it's because their parents gave up on trying to do the same for them. Meanwhile, overly violent and/or sexual media isn't helping. Teens are already impressionable enough as it is because their own goddamn parents are too lazy to get their households in order.

Poochy

Come now, when was the last time that Oasis was relevant?

Or, what, they're not content with trying to be The Beatles so now they're trying to be Bono?

Johnny_Under

@Poochy:
Also, I don't appreciate the insult. What made you think I didn't know how to read carefully?

gamadaya

@Poochy: ok.....so how am I insulting you? I'm not the one making ad hominem attacks here.

sarcasmOD

@Ghar:
I don't know if he proved it correct with that comment. I did over exaggerate quite a bit. I'll put it another way. Alcohol, drug abuse, guns, video games. Which one of these would you consider to be BY FAR least at fault for most murders.

Ok, that's even twisting the guys words a bit. Basically, I think when you have to put booze and drugs into the equation to make violent games a cause for murderous behavior, maybe it's time to stop blaming the games.

gamadaya

@Poochy: Ok, then. Based on the FALSE ASSUMPTION that 'bad media' = crime.

It's like this... if I said "People say that Oasis causes aids, and I guess that's got something to do with it", I'm pretty sure people would think me stupid. And since I know fuck-all about the science involved in transferring a virus through sound, well, he'd be well right to call me an idiot for saying so.

Insomnia Bob

Funny, I thought it was due to lazy parents not teaching their kids right from wrong.

munkah

@Insomnia Bob:
"...okkkaay.

Kotaku: Guy says something. We kinda sarcastically think he's wrong.

You: ZOMG FASCISTS!

Seriously. Shh. You're making the internets sad."

Yes, that's EXACTLY what I was saying in the comment above yours!

No, wait..

Poochy

@Insomnia Bob: "and I guess that has something to do with it" is hardly a statement. And the best part is, he's not suggesting Gordon Brown ban video games, he's talking about what to do about the kids carrying knives! I'm going by the quotes the BBC has listed, not the unsourced assertion of the opening paragraph.

illiterati

@sarcasmOD: "Uhh yeah...saying that you wasted your money on the ET game an were scarred for life is rather farcical."

Yeah....and asking if it was a joke was too.

Poochy

@Poochy: ...okkkaay.

Kotaku: Guy says something. We kinda sarcastically think he's wrong.

You: ZOMG FASCISTS!

Seriously. Shh. You're making the internets sad.

Insomnia Bob

@Insomnia Bob: "There's something to be said for lambasting people who make public statements based on evidence that, at best, is watery, and at worst, has been proved FALSE by other studies. (I.e, violent videogames = crime.)"

You don't really know that he was basing it on "evidence". He was only stating an opinion, and that opinion was that violent video games probably have something to do with it. He then described a scenario in which pot-smoking teenagers who are playing violent video games might become desensitized to violence to the point that they might do something about it (and they might, really---it depends on the person).

Poochy

@Poochy:It was worse 30 years ago. Look up violent crime rates in the United States and there was a much higher rate of violent crimes in the 70's, 80's and the first half of the 90's. It's actually been in decline since around 94/95, right around the same time violent videogames were becoming much more popular. Go figure.
[www.ojp.usdoj.gov]

There's not even evidence that violent media "contributes" to crime. You use the example that "some people might" be violent who also play violent games. Well, there's a scientific principle that says "correlation does not imply causation". Yeah, some violent/aggressive people may be attracted to violent media, but so far the studies aren't showing that violent media "causes" or "contributes" to violent behaviour and crimes.

Good job on basing your opinion off the mainstream media coverage. You bought right into the B.S that violence is at all time highs even though the stats are indicating it isn't.

Abno

@Ghar: "Btw, nice job ignoring half my posts showing how big of a hypocrite and moron you are ;)

Nice job ignoring mine! :)

Honestly, I don't give a shit if you think I'm a hypocrite. Calling someone a hypocrite has to be the lamest insult ever, because deep down inside EVERYONE is a fucking hypocrite. Anyone who has treated someone else less than what would want to be treated as by others is, in my opinion, a hypocrite.

Poochy

@gamadaya: Also, I realize I start to many sentences with "thing is" or variations of it.

gamadaya

@gamadaya: "I think there is a bigger emphasis put on acceptance of people different than you and the solution of problems through non violent means than there has ever been before. I wouldn't call that a laxing of moral values."

Right. And what better way to promote the solution of problems through non violent means than to produce games such as Grand Theft Auto, where the "fun" comes from senseless violence.

Poochy

@KeroseneClimax:
Thing is, I've never actually personally witnessed somebody die on rotten or youtube, except the JFK video. I'm sure if I looked, I could find more. The thing is, I wouldn't equate watching a blurry video of somebody getting shot is the same as standing there in person while somebody is decapitated. And don't try to get a realistic demographic from youtube comments. Seriously, what the hell. You know that those people are the lowest common denominator. You can't expect a bunch of spastic 13 year olds to post mournful comments on the JFK video on youtube.

gamadaya

@Insomnia Bob: "Gallagher's statement shows he believe there's a causal link between video-games and violence. Or so he 'guesses'. Which is kind of why Kotaku posted the story in the first place."

And I'll type this very slowly for you:

Gallagher's statement shows that he believes there is a casual link between pot-smoking teenagers who play violent video games, and the recent stabbings in London. Or so he guesses.

Cue dozens of people over-reacting and reading all the wrong things into his statement.

Tell me, did you even read the BBC article? The man is just a parent, concerned about his own kids. If you're going to get your panties in a twist over what a concerned parent has to say about video games, then I say to you: get a life. You're misconstruing statements so bad, that I hope Al Gore comes to your house and slaps you--and not only for that, for actually using the words "lost at the internet" in what I presumed was a serious sentence.

Poochy

@Poochy:
Alright, you know what, it's just easier to call you a hypocritical asshole. I certainly don't cringe when I hear of drive-bys. If I did, I would waste a lot of time cringing. But it seems to me that even though the recent years have seen an increase in crime and murder (which is what you'd expect when technology and population increase at a geometric rate), they pale in comparison to atrocities committed in the past in the name of the so called moral values of the time. I think there is a bigger emphasis put on acceptance of people different than you and the solution of problems through non violent means than there has ever been before. I wouldn't call that a laxing of moral values.

gamadaya

@wild homes has adopted evidentialism:

Well....Yeah...I guess that IS 'just you' but really ,seeing as the fact that the bigger cities in the UK have been having a HUGE upswing in violent crime , (---It was in the news a bunch awhile back....mostly beatings and strong-arm robberies and vandalisim--and most of this being done by young guys in groups ) So much so that there were the 'hooligan' task forces being sent out ( I guess like the Soccer Hooligans? ) doesn't it seem that 'knife fights' are just the next step ?...When they were saying that London was having DOZENS and HUNDREDS of calls and arrests EVERY weekend night involving mobs beating /kicking /etc single victims (or sometimes couples..) Or Mobs tearing up a club and/or parking lot...
The only common elements were One: a GROUP (mob) of young males...and Two: They were always DRUNK.

Video Games are now in --What'd they say the new figure was...? 65 % of American homes...? There's a LOT of violent games being played every night here in the USA...and while we ARE just as creepy and dangerous as ever before ,we are NOT having a wave of stabbings...
Really...Smoking the 'skunk weed' will just make 'em wanna play more games and eat cookies ( or 'blood pudding' or whatever vile mush those people eat---"bangers and Mash"...yummmm?) Nobody's going on a knife rampage after smoking weed.....

Now,pump 'em fulla ale and vinegar chips and let somebody lose at 'footy'...You got a bloodbath on your hands...
If violent video games CAUSED people to act violent...there'd be a LOT more violence everywhere ...(here...there...everywhere)
Now... ,unemployed (poor),
uneducated (ignorant), stupid ( stupid) people who are mean and violent to START WITH....? EVERYTHING that gets them excited is a factor...( beer,games,movies,caffine,sugar,loud nieghbors,the news,parents,children,school....etc......EVERYTHING is to blame.......)
But skunk'll make them sit down and eat 'biscuits'....)

ferretwhisperer

@Poochy:
My point is that you and many others are seemingly using the word incorrectly. This, however, does not mean that you can assume that Gallagher is also using the word incorrectly. I do agree that he means violent games play *part* and are not the *sole* cause of real-life violence but good reading comprehension skills will tell you that "guess" is not the word that indicates this. The phrase "got something to do with it" is what indicates *part* and not *sole*.

Also, I'm not sure where you got the mainly Rockstar part from. As nothing in the article mentions Rockstar at all. There are tons of violent games out >_>

Btw, nice job ignoring half my posts showing how big of a hypocrite and moron you are ;)

Ghar

@gamadaya:

WARNING! THIS VIDEO CONTAINS GRAPHIC CONTENT.

+ Watch video

For more disgust, trudge through the comments to see how people feel about such a shocking video. If this isn't a sign of society becoming more easily susceptible to desensitization, I don't know what is.

KeroseneClimax

The only thing I can think of when I read this guys quote was from the movie "Team America:World Police" when one of the members from the "Film Actors Guild" was on TV saying that it was the job of celebrities to read the newspapers and then tell the public what they read in the newspapers and make it sound like it was their own idea...

this definitely sounds like a case of "I heard this, so it's my belief too"...

NfoRcErX

@Poochy: Ok. I'm going to type this very slowly for you.

Gallagher's statement shows he believe there's a causal link between video-games and violence. Or so he 'guesses'. Which is kind of why Kotaku posted the story in the first place.

Also, I never complained about your cheap insults, or your generalizations ('GTA players are stupid; work at McDonald's'). But I think it's nicely hilarious that you offer that up as some kind of consolation prize. And your hypocrisy is astonishing.

You, sir, have lost at the internet so hard Al Gore is on his way to your house to slap you.

Insomnia Bob

i don't think i'll respect the opinion of a man who has no problem saying the words "super skunk" in public

thejakeman: visit my site!

@gamadaya: Well if your moral compass doesn't oppose such criminal acts, or even cringe when hearing of them, you're not the kind of person I'd ever want to know. I mean, away from the internet, away from all the BS, I really would want to stay as far away from you as possible if those kind of things don't conflict with your own moral agenda.

Poochy

It's much scarier that anyone looks up to this guy.

NighTrekr

@Poochy:
Yeah, and I like video games. And if he did go after another medium, although I wouldn't feel as passionately about it as I do now, I would certainly understand how that mediums' supporters would feel. The main point is that this guy (who I recently found out is a total asshat) is badmouthing something he knows nothing about without doing research.

gamadaya

@Poochy:
I really do think that all people have some degree of fascination for the macabre. Some people just have a harder time admitting it. Why should you not be scared of me. Well, first, I have no idea who you are. Secondly, like I said before, it's not violent imagery that makes me feel bad, it's the idea of hurting other things. I would think that a fascination with gruesome imagery would be less indicative of a violent and amoral nature than the compulsive need to destroy those who do not agree with you or believe what you believe in without caring about the harm you are causing to others. Tell me, what group of people does that symptom I mentioned apply to. Now tell me what group of people is most likely to shout their moral purity from the rooftops.

gamadaya

Well, when happens some crap with game players, everyone says...oooh how bad. When someone complains about the quantity of teens that shouldn't even be playing such games, everyone complains that what he's saying is crazy.

Dont worry ppl, they wont stop selling games. IT was just his opinion. Who knows someday one of you wont be in the middle of the fight and then comes a guy with some baseball bat from GTA IV and breaks u to pieces. I had here some friends that passed through some situation like that. Wasn't' fun. Yes, lets blame education... and the parents that never received education. And the poor civ..... (irony). It happens, maybe they could be doing something about it. Or maybe not... :/ It's impossible to control the ppl. Even if they try hard...so somewhere will be always some jurk trying some movie, game or book tric