Derrick
ლ(ಠ_ಠ )ლ
- Joined
- Nov 22, 2010
- Messages
- 5,085
- Reaction score
- 5
The video game, Grand Theft Auto IV, has been banned in Thailand after an 18-year old killed a taxi driver in an attempt to mimic a scene in the game.
The video game publisher, New Era Interactive Media, has ordered their resellers to halt the sales of GTA IV and will replace it with another game soon.
The high school student could face the death penalty if convicted. He has already confessed to stealing the cab for money and killed the driver when he resisted.
According to the BBC the Bangkok police Captain Veerarit Pipatanasak said: “He wanted to find out if it was as easy in real life to rob a taxi as it was in the game. He wanted money to play the game. His parents, who work as civil servants, did not have enough money to give him.”
Blaming video games
Incidents of this nature are tragic and there is no doubt that certain games need better policing but I’m always left wondering where to draw the line.
In this instance I am not sure if we can blame a video game for the actions of a mature 18 year old individual. I’d like to see more conclusive evidence that playing violent video games is the direct cause and not just one of the many factors that led an already sick individual to commit this heinous crime.
Perhaps if he hadn’t mimicked a scene from GTA IV it would have been the latest blockbuster or a YouTube snippet.
Giving our youth an excuse that something external, outside of their conscience, is to blame for bad or criminal behaviour only feeds the problem.
The video game publisher, New Era Interactive Media, has ordered their resellers to halt the sales of GTA IV and will replace it with another game soon.
The high school student could face the death penalty if convicted. He has already confessed to stealing the cab for money and killed the driver when he resisted.
According to the BBC the Bangkok police Captain Veerarit Pipatanasak said: “He wanted to find out if it was as easy in real life to rob a taxi as it was in the game. He wanted money to play the game. His parents, who work as civil servants, did not have enough money to give him.”
Blaming video games
Incidents of this nature are tragic and there is no doubt that certain games need better policing but I’m always left wondering where to draw the line.
In this instance I am not sure if we can blame a video game for the actions of a mature 18 year old individual. I’d like to see more conclusive evidence that playing violent video games is the direct cause and not just one of the many factors that led an already sick individual to commit this heinous crime.
Perhaps if he hadn’t mimicked a scene from GTA IV it would have been the latest blockbuster or a YouTube snippet.
Giving our youth an excuse that something external, outside of their conscience, is to blame for bad or criminal behaviour only feeds the problem.