Copycat Taxi Murder Sparks GTA IV Ban in Thailand

[SUBMAN1]

Wonderful.


-S



http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=129324


(BangkokPost.com) Polce on Tuesday banned the Grand Theft Auto IV computer game from sale on Tuesday, a day after the controversial software was withdrawn from all shops by its distributor.



Polwat Chinno, 19 (sic), told authorities last week he had brutally killed a Bangkok taxi driver to copy a crime depicted in the game.



In response, the Thailand distributor of GTA, New Era Interactive, removed the game from all shops on Mondayh and stopped selling it.



That was not enough for police, who officially banned it because of "obscene" content.



The AFP news agency quoted police spokesman Ruangsak Jaritake as saying, "The police are empowered to immediately arrest shopkeepers if they find any GTA (Grand Theft Auto) games on sale."

[nikimcbee]

I thought all software in that region was pirated anyway?

[SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by nikimcbee

I thought all software in that region was pirated anyway?

You might be right, but I wouldn't call it pirated - that is a bit of a handle given by industry. I would call it copied as a better word.

To qualify as piracy, one would need to steal the software and then sell it for profit.

Its kind of like the media calling crackers hackers. Hackers are not crackers.

-S

[Tchocky]

There's a distinct rhyming bias.

[Raptor1]

It's not the game's fault, it's the person's idiocy

I mean, really, you have to be either insane or an idiot to do something like that

[SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by Tchocky

There's a distinct rhyming bias.

say hacker cracker 20 times fast!

There seems to be more to this story however:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/050808_Ne...08_news003.php

GTA copycat killing leads to call for ban Teen was "obsessed" with violent game

BANGKOK POST AND REUTERS


The Family Network yesterday called on the Culture Ministry to ban the Grand Theft Auto (GTA) video game franchise after incidences of copycat violence by players.

In its statement, the network blamed GTA for at least two violent incidents, including the fatal stabbing of taxi driver Kuan Phokang on Sunday by Polwat Chinno, a 19-year-old student known to be an obsessive player of the game.

The incident raised concerns about violent video games after the suspect admitted that the robbery was inspired by a scene from GTA.

In the games, players assume the role of a criminal and are assigned to commit crimes such as carjackings, shootings and robberies in order to rise in the underworld.

According to the Family Network manager Wanchai Boonpracha, a shooting at Talad Thai wholesale market in Pathum Thani last year was also copied from one of the games.

He said the granting of a licence to the online version of the game by the Office of National Cultural Commission in August last year made it readily available at internet cafes and games arcades, increasing the likelihood of copycat crimes by teenagers.

"The Family Network demands the Culture Ministry revokes the licence of GTA and other games with inappropriate violent and sexual content" Mr Wanchai said in the statement.

He said that GTA was banned in several countries, including Australia and England.

In the US, where the video game was copyrighted, game ratings were introduced to help guide parents' and shopkeepers' decisions.

Pol Col Yanpol Yangyuen, IT chief attached to the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), yesterday urged the authorities, and in particular mental health experts, to take steps to prevent copycat violence.

He noted that there were up to 20 violent games available in the market.

"Playing games is not a crime. Shooting takes place in the cyber world. But the game can make players aggressive and violent, so experts should investigate," he said.

Amporn Benjapolpitak of the Mental Health Department, doubted that the video game was entirely to blame for Mr Polwat's behaviour.

Ms Amporn yesterday interviewed Mr Polwat's friends and teachers at school and found that he had suffered from heightened anxiety.

"I don't think excessive playing of the game is the sole cause. There must be other causes too," she said.

"His friends told me that [his personality] had changed."

Deputy Public Health Minister Wicharn Meenchainant yesterday urged parents to pay more attention to video games their children were playing.

He said he ordered the Mental Health department to set up a panel to study and keep a watch on violent games as well as coordinating with the ICT Ministry to develop useful video games.

Meanwhile, the Taling Chan provincial court yesterday approved a police request to detain Mr Polwat for another 12 days for further questioning and collection of evidence.

Mr Polwat was charged with robbery causing death, and possession of knives.

Police also lodged a petition opposing bail on grounds that the case was serious and had attracted the attention of the general public.

Sukanya Chinno, the suspect's mother, said her family could not afford to post bail anyway, because they had no assets to post as a surety.

Mrs Sukanya urged other parents of children who were obsessed with video games to take precautions against them developing aggressive behaviour.

New Era Interactive Media, which distributes GTA in Thailand, yesterday halted sales of the game.

"We are sending out requests today to outlets and shops to pull the games off their shelves and we will replace them with other games," said Sakchai Chotikachinda, sales and marketing director of New Era.

"We are also urging video game arcades to pull GTA games from their line-ups," he said.

[nikimcbee]

It's the kids that play the violent games non-stop that I worry about. I suppose every now and then somebody takes it to the next level.

[UnderseaLcpl]

Sucks to be Thailand.

I have my doubts as to whether this guy actually was trying to copycat GTA or if he was just using that as an excuse. Can't really say without knowing much about Thailand's "justice" system or the guy himself.

Considering that everyone here seems to enjoy playing games in which one sinks ships or shoots down aircraft, I would probably be preaching to the choir if I were to expound on my opposition to video game censorship, but perhaps not. edit- oh I see someone already does disagree.
It would be hard to copycat sinking an ocean liner with hundreds of people aboard and leave them to die of shock and hypothermia in the northern Atlantic.

It should come as no surprise that I am against censorship or banning of games regardless of their content (and I do mean regardless) but it would be intersting to see other's views, and I suspect I might in this thread.

[SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by nikimcbee

It's the kids that play the violent games non-stop that I worry about. I suppose every now and then somebody takes it to the next level.

That is pretty much it. Developing minds should be barred from having access to that.

-S