Why is gaming getting blamed?

[Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,813
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By now most of us would of heard of the recent massacre in america and the truly horrific events that happened

but once again people have gone into full on ****ing moron mode and started to blame bioware just because the killer was a fan of mass effect, mean i quick look at the page shows you hundreds of comments calling for the page to be pulled from facebook, for the game to be banned, hateful comments about bioware it just goes on and on

https://www.facebook.com/masseffect?ref=ts&fref=ts

But not one of these morons that jump to the conclusion 'he played mass effect so games are evil', not ****ing one of them has made mention of the fact the page has over 1.3 million fans and only one of them went crazy

For me there are to tragedies here, the death of many people including children and the fact we still live in a moronic world where people will blame the most popular thing they don't understand

this picture (which i'm 99% sure isn't a direct quote sums up why this happened and it isn't because of games)
https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/14608_505341112832739_2112942317_n.jpg
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Comments

  • ConroyConroy Posts: 3,031
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    Because they always blame whatever is popular with the youth on the failings of society instead of people taking responsibility for their own actions and the actions of their dependents.

    Rock and Roll used to get the blame for youth behaviour and crimes in the 40s-60s (Teddy Boys/Girls, Mods and Rockers). Punk got the blame in the 80s, Hip-Hop (particularly but not limited to Gangsta Rap) in the 90s as well as some movies (e.g. Child's Play - by the tabloids) and now gaming.

    There are countless acts of human violence throughout history going back over 2000 years but none of that matters now as gaming is so dangerous and influential and people are so weak willed. Obviously games are to blame for this massacre... not the widespread availability of guns and bullets or the individual who committed the act :mad:.

    The NRA are silent. One of their mouthpieces usually advocates the increased need for guns after a massacre, although I don't think that would go down too well with 20 children amongst the dead.

    However, gun sales usually increase for a few weeks after a shooting. I wonder if this trend will continue, it is their constitutional right afterall.
  • LilaethLilaeth Posts: 750
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    We're an easy target - yes, there must be something weird about preferring to game instead of going out and getting pissed/taking drugs/shagging anything that moves/whatever! And obviously we're too stupid to differentiate between killing a bunch of pixels, and a real living being. :mad:

    Maybe I'll come back to this once I've had some chocolate....
  • NorfolkBoy1NorfolkBoy1 Posts: 4,109
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    Conroy wrote: »
    However, gun sales usually increase for a few weeks after a shooting. I wonder if this trend will continue, it is their constitutional right afteral.

    Except it's not, a single line of the 2nd amendment has been taken out of context by the gun-toting nutters of the christian right, non of whom are members of a "well regulated militia", which is the only thing actually protected by the bill of rights..
  • Flawed-TacticsFlawed-Tactics Posts: 3,488
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    People need someone to blame at a time like this, some will blame games some will blame the movies etc, but it will pass, just take it on the chin and think about the poor little souls and their families that are at the center of this mindless act.
  • blitzben85blitzben85 Posts: 3,020
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    ***Light hearted reply***

    If i was tempted to go out and shoot loads of people after playing COD no-one would be killed as im terrible at it.

    ***end of light hearted reply***

    They will always try to blame games, films and musicians (Marilyn Manson). It's sad that they can't blame the shooter and need to pull in a game or whatever.
  • Si_CreweSi_Crewe Posts: 40,202
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    As I've said before, the thing that annoys me is how they wheel all these so-called experts onto the 24-hour rolling news coverage so that, one after the other, they can blame guns, mental health care, movies, games, bad parenting, society, religion...

    ...and yet, somehow, none of these experts ever seem to get around to discussing how it might be possible that some of these people do it for the notoriety and infamy they receive from all the TV coverage.

    Funny that, innit?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,329
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    The real tragedy of all this is that more americans supported a gun ban in 1959 than they do now.

    Nearly half of the American people believe the right to own a gun is important.

    Fair dos, but expect many more shootings like this one, because with 300 million guns in the hands of civilians these sort of crimes will continue.

    Its believed that an occupying army on US soil could be beaten into retreat within days of arrival just from the threat of civilian backlash, GO AMERICA.

    It saddens me.
  • DavonatorDavonator Posts: 4,406
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    I agree with Conroy and don't think I can really add much more.

    The media do really have to have some responsibility when reporting this. This clip was on Newswipe a couple of years ago

    http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=l8rMYyegT5Y&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dl8rMYyegT5Y

    .....and sadly I see the same sort of fetishized reporting this time round. I think the Sun had his pic up with 'the face of Evil'.
  • autumnautumn Posts: 2,013
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    It's not just the games, it's the cumulative effect of a generally violent society. People will have a fit over their kids seeing porn, yet aggression and violence surround us all day every day, but no one is up in arms over that.
  • icic Posts: 903
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    Surely the papers would be full of positive stories about people rescuing princess's or unearthing artifacts from long forgotten tombs if this was true ?
  • DaisyBumblerootDaisyBumbleroot Posts: 24,763
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    What makes it worse, is that it was the shooters brother who had liked the Mass Effect page.
  • SpeedloaferSpeedloafer Posts: 2,407
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    I have not seen one report linking this attack to Video Games.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,813
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    I have not seen one report linking this attack to Video Games.

    I did link to the facebook page i mentioned, where every one is bad mouthing bioware but i guess it was to hard for you to click on that :rolleyes: Just because it isn't being reported doesn't mean people aren't blaming games
  • SpeedloaferSpeedloafer Posts: 2,407
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    thomas2400 wrote: »
    I did link to the facebook page i mentioned, where every one is bad mouthing bioware but i guess it was to hard for you to click on that :rolleyes: Just because it isn't being reported doesn't mean people aren't blaming games

    Yea but its facebook, There are also people saying that this was a conspiracy done by Obama to bring in gun control. I take no notice of either.
  • Si_CreweSi_Crewe Posts: 40,202
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    I have not seen one report linking this attack to Video Games.

    I can assure you that there's been plenty of discussion of the desensitising properties of video games in the aformentioned 24-hour rolling news broadcasts.
  • SpeedloaferSpeedloafer Posts: 2,407
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    Si_Crewe wrote: »
    I can assure you that there's been plenty of discussion of the desensitising properties of video games in the aformentioned 24-hour rolling news broadcasts.

    Were they just doing the usual "have to talk about something as we are 24 hour news" or was it about this kids specific habits and what he played. Its just if he was a COD fan or something violent I'm certain we would have heard about it by now.
  • Si_CreweSi_Crewe Posts: 40,202
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    Were they just doing the usual "have to talk about something as we are 24 hour news" or was it about this kids specific habits and what he played. Its just if he was a COD fan or something violent I'm certain we would have heard about it by now.

    Just the vague generalisations and speculation thing.

    Which actually makes it worse IMO.
  • SpeedloaferSpeedloafer Posts: 2,407
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    Si_Crewe wrote: »
    Just the vague generalisations and speculation thing.

    Which actually makes it worse IMO.

    The thing they said he had no gun training at all. (These reports may have changed). Yet he seemed well capable of using them. That is when I worry about video game comparison.
  • Si_CreweSi_Crewe Posts: 40,202
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    The thing they said he had no gun training at all. (These reports may have changed). Yet he seemed well capable of using them. That is when I worry about video game comparison.

    Well....

    There's probably something to it but not as much as people are implying though.

    I mean, back in WW2 soldiers learned to shoot by aiming at traditional circular targets.
    Somebody realised that, when faced with a human target, all that shooting at circular targets didn't really help a lot.
    So then they came up with training targets shaped, basically, like people to make it more realistic and then refined the idea with targets that represent stuff like an enemy with a hostage etc.

    I certainly think it'd be hard to deny that a game like COD helps to familiarise a person with some what they're likely to encounter when shooting in real life.

    That's kinda like suggesting that a racing game actually encourages people to drive recklessly though, rather than saying that it, maybe, just gives them an idea of what to expect.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,813
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    Si_Crewe wrote: »
    Well....

    There's probably something to it but not as much as people are implying though.

    I mean, back in WW2 soldiers learned to shoot by aiming at traditional circular targets.
    Somebody realised that, when faced with a human target, all that shooting at circular targets didn't really help a lot.
    So then they came up with training targets shaped, basically, like people to make it more realistic and then refined the idea with targets that represent stuff like an enemy with a hostage etc.

    I certainly think it'd be hard to deny that a game like COD helps to familiarise a person with some what they're likely to encounter when shooting in real life.

    That's kinda like suggesting that a racing game actually encourages people to drive recklessly though, rather than saying that it, maybe, just gives them an idea of what to expect.

    I have to disagree, i watch horror films and play violent games and none of the blood and violence will bother me but in real life any sight of blood makes me sick and i can't even look it the same direction

    As for CoD games being a training simulator of sorts and teaching you what to expect, i strongly urge you to watch the episode of Penn and Tellers Bullshit on videogame violence on youtube, in it they show us a ten year old (i think)and his mum who let's him play all the CoD, they take him to a shooting range and give him a gun to shoot

    not only does he not expect what happens but his dislikes it so much that he starts to cry

    Using games and saying maybe they trained these mass murders is just the equivalent of blaming the games in my opinion
  • Si_CreweSi_Crewe Posts: 40,202
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    thomas2400 wrote: »
    I have to disagree, i watch horror films and play violent games and none of the blood and violence will bother me but in real life any sight of blood makes me sick and i can't even look it the same direction

    As for CoD games being a training simulator of sorts and teaching you what to expect, i strongly urge you to watch the episode of Penn and Tellers Bullshit on videogame violence on youtube, in it they show us a ten year old (i think)and his mum who let's him play all the CoD, they take him to a shooting range and give him a gun to shoot

    not only does he not expect what happens but his dislikes it so much that he starts to cry

    Using games and saying maybe they trained these mass murders is just the equivalent of blaming the games in my opinion

    Oh, I'm not suggesting that it might actually encourage people to do things and I guess that any amount of desensitization would be largely dependent on the individual and how much they indulge in whatever it is we're considering.

    Seems like the basic concept has merit, though, or you wouldn't get stuff like pilots using things like flight-simulators to train etc.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 622
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    Some Americans would far rather blame games and use it as an excuse to ramp up censorship than blame the gun lobby. Usually those people are middle aged gun owners who don't play games.
  • PyramidbreadPyramidbread Posts: 10,440
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    If anything, blame the news, they're the one who glorify these killers with hours upon hours of screentime. Ensuring that the killer is remembered.
  • ConroyConroy Posts: 3,031
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    If COD or any other FPS can be classed as a gun training simulator then Gran Turismo/Forza/Burnout etc must be sufficient enough to teach people how to drive.

    I know a few people who are good at Street Fighter. They must therefore know multiple martial arts and would be successful in UFC or some other fighting tournament.
  • Regis MagnaeRegis Magnae Posts: 6,810
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    Never let a tragedy go unexploited. If you're a campaigner against X then when Y does something bad search for any connection between X and Y. If you can't find any X infer there's a connection; then hope that viewers and readers are too lazy to investigate further.
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