GTA 4 stabbing

[SUBMAN1]

This is funny! I wouldn't be wanting to stand in line for this game since it attracts a certain type of individual that wants to play it. I'm surprised this even made the news.

Funny how the guy who was stabbed went home, and got a knife for a revenge stabbing! :D Typical. Whatever happened to wanting to play the good guy?

http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/04/30/gta_gamer_stabbed/

-S



Grand Theft Auto 4 queue man stabbed in head

By James Sherwood (http://forms.theregister.co.uk/mail_author/?story_url=/2008/04/30/gta_gamer_stabbed/) [More by this author] (http://search.reghardware.co.uk/?author=James%20Sherwood)
30th April 2008 09:52 GMT

A hooded male stabbed another man in the head and neck yesterday as they both queued to buy copies of Grand Theft Auto IV from a Croydon Gamestation store.

Onlookers witnessed the Niko-style stabbing, which some bystanders have said they initially thought was a stunt pulled to whip-up yet more excitement for the eagerly anticipated title.


Unfortunately, the stabbing was anything but virtual. Police have yet to confirm the motive for the assault, but it’s thought that the two men were just rude to one another.


The victim managed to survive the ordeal - and stumbled home to grab a knife for a revenge attack. However, he collapsed in the street on his way back to the store.

One witness to the attack told The Times newspaper that the victim had been stabbed repeatedly and that there was blood everywhere.


But that's not the only incident of GTA IV-style real-word violence yesterday. Separately, an 18-year-old suffered a broken jaw after being mugged for his copy of the game, bought from Blockbuster Video just minutes earlier.


Some anti-GTA IV campaigners have already jumped on both incidents as proof that such games are too violent for society. Keith Vaz, a prominent British Labour MP, said that news of both incidents didn't surprise him.


Despite the attacks, the game appears to be flying off the shelves. Play.com claims to be taking around 80 orders for the game each minute, while Woolworths has reportedly sold 200 copies each minute over the last 24 hours.

[Sailor Steve]

I knew a kid who "learned" to drive playing Gran Turismo. After a couple of high-speed attempts at entering the driveway, and wracking up the front suspension, his dad finally told him next time he was paying for the repairs.

Maybe video games really do teach us bad habits.

On the other hand, I grew up watching Bugs Bunny and friends, and never once was I tempted to hand someone a lit stick of dynamite.

[SUBMAN1]

I knew a kid who "learned" to drive playing Gran Turismo. After a couple of high-speed attempts at entering the driveway, and wracking up the front suspension, his dad finally told him next time he was paying for the repairs.

Maybe video games really do teach us bad habits.

On the other hand, I grew up watching Bugs Bunny and friends, and never once was I tempted to hand someone a lit stick of dynamite.Bugs is not real enough. :p

[Dowly]

It's a bit like firearms, they're harmless by themselves. Give it to stupid peoples and it gets different. I played the GTA series since the first one and never stole any car nor stabbed people. (yet)

Well said. If telly and games really would have the effect the media tells us they do, I should be a serial-killer by now. I watched my first 'splatter' movie when I was (IIRC) 5-6yo, have played violent, blood-soaked games for ages etc. etc.

[Jimbuna]

It's a bit like firearms, they're harmless by themselves. Give it to stupid peoples and it gets different. I played the GTA series since the first one and never stole any car nor stabbed people. (yet)

Maybe not, but I've met loads of low lifes that have and they never used GTA as an alibi.

[danlisa]

I play GTA so I don't have to vent my rage on some unsuspecting pedestrian with a baseball bat.

Yep, just like Dowly, I should pretty much be an axe welding maniac by now.

Some people are just not wired right.

[joea]

I'm an ace fighter pilot and Kaleun.










Killed many times over.

:damn::damn::damn:


;)

[Dowly]

Yep, just like Dowly, I should pretty much be an axe welding maniac by now.

Dang! I should've guessed it from the pic you showed me! :damn:

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee274/Finnish_Ferret/welder.jpg


Thank you, thank you! I'll be entertaining you lot alllll weekend! :up: :rotfl:

[August]

On the other hand, I grew up watching Bugs Bunny and friends, and never once was I tempted to hand someone a lit stick of dynamite.

But how often did you have a stick of dynamite to hand someone?

[August]

On the other hand, I grew up watching Bugs Bunny and friends, and never once was I tempted to hand someone a lit stick of dynamite.
But how often did you have a stick of dynamite to hand someone?

[Kapitan_Phillips]

A good example of the few screwing things up for the many. :shifty:

[Sea Demon]

I never understood the point to these types of games. All Grand Theft Auto looks like is you go out, carjack and murder people. Personally, I can't see myself ever enjoying a game like this. It doesn't look enjoyable at all.

[AVGWarhawk]

What the news failed to bring up is the fact that Playstation 3 created riots at the stores when they had it out. Same with Wii. Not to mention a stuffed toy called Tickle Me Elmo. Crazed mothers pushing and shoving for that stupid toy.

[Kapitan_Phillips]

What the news failed to bring up is the fact that Playstation 3 created riots at the stores when they had it out. Same with Wii. Not to mention a stuffed toy called Tickle Me Elmo. Crazed mothers pushing and shoving for that stupid toy.

:yep::yep:

[Sailor Steve]

Bugs is not real enough. :p
But how often did you have a stick of dynamite to hand someone?
The point is that people have tried to get WB cartoons banned because "they teach our kids to be violent."

[danlisa]

All reported incidents related to this game is due to hype. I mean serious hype, more than Halo.

Any game that receives maximum scores from ALL critics/reviewers is going to incite some form of public stupidity.

[Kapitan_Phillips]

By the way, the article doesn't even say that the fight was related to the game at all, but linking the event to the game fits with the trend of saying "GTA is evil".

Gotta love this:

Nikko-style stabbing

Anything to get mothers wound up.

[Foxtrot]

I always wonder why folks say that the games like GTA can corrupt minds, but only as much as any other form of literature. Many more books and films are way more disturbing than any GTA game. How can people complain about the violence in a computer game, when films like SAW or the Hostel are on our TV screens!?

Besides, if someone can't differ between a game and reality then they better get themselves admitted in a mental hospital

[antikristuseke]

Because it is easyer to shift blame than to raise your child.

[Dowly]

I always wonder why folks say that the games like GTA can corrupt minds, but only as much as any other form of literature. Many more books and films are way more disturbing than any GTA game. How can people complain about the violence in a computer game, when films like SAW or the Hostel are on our TV screens!?


You forgot Rambo 4, where you see up-close how a bayonet is thrusted to a small child and a baby is thrown to a burning building.

[d@rk51d3]

I can imagine the stabbings on the increase, now that a bug has been found that prevents the game from being played on some consoles. It just freezes on the intro screen and requires a powerdown of the system.

According to Rock*, it affects both PS3 and X-BOX360 consoles, but they don't know why. It seems to be hardware related at the moment, and is causing more than a few tears.

I'd hate to be on that helpdesk.;)

[baggygreen]

What the news failed to bring up is the fact that Playstation 3 created riots at the stores when they had it out. Same with Wii. Not to mention a stuffed toy called Tickle Me Elmo. Crazed mothers pushing and shoving for that stupid toy.Thanks for reminding me AVG... i was working in a major store's toy dept that day.:dead:

people look at the downside to GTA, yes you *can* do the murders etc, but you dont *need* to. its in the game for those who want to, but you can do it without resorting to the extreme violence mentioned so often!

[AVGWarhawk]

Bugs is not real enough. :p
But how often did you have a stick of dynamite to hand someone?
The point is that people have tried to get WB cartoons banned because "they teach our kids to be violent."

Steve, you and I are from the same era. I had friends who's parents did not allow them to watch Warner Brothers cartoons because they felt they were violent. Gosh, imagine if they took a peek at GTA:o

[AVGWarhawk]

Because it is easyer to shift blame than to raise your child.

I agree whole heartedly here on this point. I think it started with dear Hillary Clinton when she said a whole villiage needs to raise a child. Crack-pot thought really. It is up to the parent to know what your kids are up too, who they hang with and how school work is going. Simple formula really, Ask questions=getting a response. If it equals the wrong response, help them find the right answer.

[AVGWarhawk]

What the news failed to bring up is the fact that Playstation 3 created riots at the stores when they had it out. Same with Wii. Not to mention a stuffed toy called Tickle Me Elmo. Crazed mothers pushing and shoving for that stupid toy.Thanks for reminding me AVG... i was working in a major store's toy dept that day.:dead:

people look at the downside to GTA, yes you *can* do the murders etc, but you dont *need* to. its in the game for those who want to, but you can do it without resorting to the extreme violence mentioned so often!

Yes sir, I watched the fighting and tramplings on the news for a friggin console just to play games. Not to mention people getting held up at knife/gunpoint on the way to their car.

[August]

But how often did you have a stick of dynamite to hand someone? The point is that people have tried to get WB cartoons banned because "they teach our kids to be violent."

I wasn't being serious, but i guess since you mention it your experience doesn't really prove the theory either way. Obviously if every kid that watched violent cartoons went out and attempted to act them out in RL folks wouldn't be having this debate.

[Sailor Steve]

I wasn't being serious, but i guess since you mention it your experience doesn't really prove the theory either way. Obviously if every kid that watched violent cartoons went out and attempted to act them out in RL folks wouldn't be having this debate.
Your question was direct, and seemed serious enough. On the other hand, wasn't my original statement just a little bit over the top?

And my point seems to have been exactly the same: that what we watch and what we play does NOT shape us nearly as much as what we are taught by those whose job it is to raise us.

[Cohaagen]

http://www.bruceongames.com/2008/04/29/dont-believe-the-press/

Lazy, lazy, lazy, crap journalism.

I once got duffed up outside a chipper in Edinburgh - perhaps the waft of simmering palm oil or stress of waiting for a chicken pakora was responsible?

You read far too much news, Subman.

[Jimbuna]

http://www.bruceongames.com/2008/04/29/dont-believe-the-press/

Lazy, lazy, lazy, crap journalism.

I once got duffed up outside a chipper in Edinburgh - perhaps the waft of simmering palm oil or stress of waiting for a chicken pakora was responsible?

You read far too much news, Subman.

Chipper....:hmm:
Edinburgh...:hmm:

What type of trainers had you on ;)

[antikristuseke]

Because it is easyer to shift blame than to raise your child.

I agree whole heartedly here on this point. I think it started with dear Hillary Clinton when she said a whole villiage needs to raise a child. Crack-pot thought really. It is up to the parent to know what your kids are up too, who they hang with and how school work is going. Simple formula really, Ask questions=getting a response. If it equals the wrong response, help them find the right answer.

It started way earlyer than that, way earlyer.

[August]

I wasn't being serious, but i guess since you mention it your experience doesn't really prove the theory either way. Obviously if every kid that watched violent cartoons went out and attempted to act them out in RL folks wouldn't be having this debate. Your question was direct, and seemed serious enough. On the other hand, wasn't my original statement just a little bit over the top?

And my point seems to have been exactly the same: that what we watch and what we play does NOT shape us nearly as much as what we are taught by those whose job it is to raise us.

I don't use those stupid smileys enough. ;)

Re your original statement, i suppose but the point is certainly valid. I'm just not sure how any single individuals experience can prove or disprove the theory. Personally i suspect the influence of such games is a lot more subtle that people think.

[bradclark1]

I think it started with dear Hillary Clinton when she said a whole villiage needs to raise a child. Crack-pot thought really.
It's not a Hillary original but it is a true statement. It's a simple way of saying society also shapes a child. I don't see a thing wrong with that statement. A childs parents should be a major factor but it sure isn't "the" factor.

[Cohaagen]

Chipper....:hmm:
Edinburgh...:hmm:

What type of trainers had you on ;)

Shoes, in fact - I was on my way back from my then job...working on the switchboard at L&B Police HQ, Fettes, and I had my support staff jumper and ID tag on at the time!

I wonder who came up with that great idea - "let's make our staff look like coppers, but without any of the warry gear, ASPs, spray, or powers of arrest".

[robbo180265]

I think that you all need to forget the game that was involved and concentrate on the town that this happened in

Croydon

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croydon

One of the holes in the Uk that spawned Chavs

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chav

Not a nice place to visit and I pity anyone who has to live there.

My initial reaction when I saw the article was "that's Croydon for you" In all honesty it didn't even occur to me that it might be game related lol

[Kapitan_Phillips]

I think that you all need to forget the game that was involved and concentrate on the town that this happened in

Croydon

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croydon

One of the holes in the Uk that spawned Chavs

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chav

Not a nice place to visit and I pity anyone who has to live there.

My initial reaction when I saw the article was "that's Croydon for you" In all honesty it didn't even occur to me that it might be game related lol


Aye, folks in Croydon would stab you for a Solero :lol:

[howler93]

Because it is easyer to shift blame than to raise your child.

I agree too. Let's face it...violence permiates American media in all its forms. To single out video games, and blame them for violent acts, is simply ignorance. Like many of you, I grew up watching the coyote try to kill the roadrunner, SWAT, A-Team, movies like Wild at Heart, Red Dawn...there's too many examples to name. The crux is that 99.9% of us can differentiate between real and fantasy, right vs. wrong. If anything, video games provide an opportunity to vent our frustrations or anger. They allow us to "experience" things we would never do in real life, and I will always be grateful for that. And on that note, I'm off to the nearest Gamestop to pick up my very own copy of GTA IV...and I'm going to enjoy every minute of it! :up:

Cheers,
Howler :arrgh!:

[Jimbuna]

I think that you all need to forget the game that was involved and concentrate on the town that this happened in

Croydon

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croydon

One of the holes in the Uk that spawned Chavs

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chav

Not a nice place to visit and I pity anyone who has to live there.

My initial reaction when I saw the article was "that's Croydon for you" In all honesty it didn't even occur to me that it might be game related lol


Aye, folks in Croydon would stab you for a Solero :lol:

As a United fan who's booked his Moscow trip I've had this cloud of worry about travelling to Russia what with all these stories of pickpockets, muggings at knife point, and general threats to my person ... thankfully, the Scousers are out now so I don't have to worry about that anymore!!!

[antikristuseke]

Most of the scares about Russia are overrated, but then again I travel with metalheads, bikers or infantry guys. Russia is a good place to pick up souvenire knives though.

[robbo180265]

I think that you all need to forget the game that was involved and concentrate on the town that this happened in

Croydon

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Croydon

One of the holes in the Uk that spawned Chavs

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chav

Not a nice place to visit and I pity anyone who has to live there.

My initial reaction when I saw the article was "that's Croydon for you" In all honesty it didn't even occur to me that it might be game related lol


Aye, folks in Croydon would stab you for a Solero :lol:

As a United fan who's booked his Moscow trip I've had this cloud of worry about travelling to Russia what with all these stories of pickpockets, muggings at knife point, and general threats to my person ... thankfully, the Scousers are out now so I don't have to worry about that anymore!!!

PMSL! :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

[Aur0ra145]

I honestly believe that playing a "violent" video game does not have any effect on your behavior.

on the other hand;

Whenever I watch UFC I just feel like having a beat down. Infact, my buddies and I were watching UFC the other day, and it inspired us to go buy boxing gloves and have a tournament. It was the most fun I'd had in a while (I got 3rd.)

[squigian]

As a United fan who's booked his Moscow trip I've had this cloud of worry about travelling to Russia what with all these stories of pickpockets, muggings at knife point, and general threats to my person ... thankfully, the Scousers are out now so I don't have to worry about that anymore!!!
Oh, come now, don't be so ridiculous, you don't have to be worried about Scousers stabbing you...they're too busy nicking cars.

[Jimbuna]

As a United fan who's booked his Moscow trip I've had this cloud of worry about travelling to Russia what with all these stories of pickpockets, muggings at knife point, and general threats to my person ... thankfully, the Scousers are out now so I don't have to worry about that anymore!!!
Oh, come now, don't be so ridiculous, you don't have to be worried about Scousers stabbing you...they're too busy nicking cars.

A Scouser inadvertently goes into a gay bar for a beer. He sits at the bar supping his pint when one gay gentleman decides to chance his luck. He approaches the Scouser and whispers something into his ear, whereupon the Liverpudlian turns around in complete disgust and horror and proceeds to punch the living f*ck out of the homosexual, fist after fist punching him out the door, kicking him across the pub car park, relentlessly punching and kicking until the victim lay comatose. The Scouser then dusted himself down and calmly returned to his pint at the bar, whilst the horrified staff and clientelle stood silent and motionless.

Eventually, the barman plucks up the courage to ask what had happened:

Barman: "Bloody hell mate. What on earth did he whisper to you?"

Scouser: "Dunno, but it was something about a 'job'."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A scouser walked into the local job centre, marched straight up to the counter and said "Hi, I'm looking for a job".
The man behind the counter replied "Your timing is amazing. We've just got a listing from a very wealthy man who wants a chauffeur/bodyguard for his nymphomaniac twin daughters. You'll have to drive around in a big black Mercedes, uniform provided. Because of the long hours of this job, meals will also be provided and you will also be required to escort the young ladies on their overseas holidays. The salary package is £200,000 a year".

The scouser said "You're bull****ting me!"

The man behind the counter said "Well you bloody started it!"

;)