Kotaku: Crime

PS3 Press Conference Rehearsal Crashed By Mystery Blogger

Brian Crecente — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:40:00 MDT

Shrine auditorium security grabbed an overly eager blogger from his third-floor balcony perch during a recent Sony E3 press conference dress rehearsal, SCEA head Jack Tretton said.

Sony was working their way through a dry run of the upcoming Playstation press conference when someone noticed that what they were saying and doing was showing up on an unnamed site.

"Everything we were saying was getting posted within 15 minutes on the Internet," Tretton said.

So Sony called in security to do a search of the place.

"They found some guy on the third floor balcony laying down taking notes and calling it in to a service," he said.

Sony declined to name the person or the site they are affiliated with. We've contacted the ESA to see if anyone had their E3 press credentials revoked but had not heard back from the organization as of press time.

Crime and Video Games Roundup

Owen Good — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 17:00:00 MDT

This reminds me of Sundays in Denver, when Crecente and I (mostly Crecente) would routinely confront an often hysterical editor raving about some sensational report from another news outlet, and then we'd have to go sift bullshit from reality. So, in the wake of yesterday's shooting in Florida, which authorities linked to an argument over a PSP, we have some other craziness out there:

• Up in Ohio, a guy confesses to his roommate that he killed a guy and invokes the Xbox 360 defense. According to the defendant, the victim was trying to steal his Xbox 360. An Ohio TV station reports on a transcript of the 911 call. It doesn't sound like it was a burglar, either, more likely that they knew each other and got in an argument. Anyway, one is dead, the other faces murder charges and potentially the death penalty. Why can't people pick something prosaic, like a stamp collection, when trying to cop out of a homicide?

• In the UK, a 40-man homicide unit is looking for the person or persons responsible for the grisly knifing deaths of two French exchange students. The Mirror — so, consider the source — says "the two may have been butchered for a pair of games consoles," as two PSPs (and not just PSPs, but "black PSPs" because they're so uncommon) were taken from the scene. I think the fact the victims were stabbed more than 250 times speaks more to a motive for the crime than the theft of £260 worth of electronics.
Brutal Murdered Pair May Have Been Killed for Playstation [The Mirror]
911 Call Released in Fatal Springfield Shooting [WHIO-TV, via GamePolitics ]

Oasis Guitarist Reckons Violent Games Cause Knife Crime

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 22:00:00 MDT

The recent increase of youth crime has Oasis songwriter Noel Gallagher. Eighteen teenagers have been murdered this year so far in London, and the Metropolitan police have set up a dedicated task force of 75 officers to combat crime. And the cause of this crime? According to Gallagher:

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 violent video games 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 playing these video games, it's really, really scary.

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

Oasis star wants action on knives [BBC via Binge Gamer]

PSP At The Center Of Florida Shooting

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 20:00:00 MDT

Two teens were apparently arguing over a Sony PSP in Jacksonville, Florida ended in a shooting. According to the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office, 17 year-old Zachary Robinson was arguing with another teenage male when he suddenly started shooting, hitting the other teen twice. The scene took place in Hemming Park, and no one else was hurt. Robinson has been charged with aggravated battery. No word on the victim's condition.

Downtown Shooting Result of Playstation Argument [First Coast News]

Even Sony's PlayStation Website Infected

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 21:00:00 MDT

A recent spate of virus attacks has infected over 790 websites. Included in those attacks was the Sony PlayStation site. Pages for SingStar Pop and God of War were infected with SQL-injected code, which caused visitors to those sites to see a bogus antivirus scan and a message that their computer was in fact infected with malware. The aim was to frighten users into purchasing software to delouse their computers. Not to worry as Sony has since removed the injected code. Says security research expert Dancho Danchev:

If you don’t take care of your web application vulnerabilities, someone else will.

You tell 'em Dancho!

Sony PlayStation’s site SQL injected [ZDNet via CNET] [Pic]

One "Mortal Kombat Killer" Avoids Prison Term

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 16:40:15 MDT

Heather Trujillo, the babysitter implicated in the death of 7-year old Zoe Garcia, has been given an 18-year suspended sentence, according to a report from Colorado NBC News affiliate 9 News. Trujillo, who was arrested along with her boyfriend Lamar Roberts, will instead spend six years in a youth offender program as part of a plea bargain. The two were charged with child abuse after acting out — in their own words — Mortal Kombat moves, kicking, punching and body slamming the young girl in December of last year.

Roberts' trial has not yet been set, but Trujillo will testify against him as part of her plea agreement.

Teen avoids prison time in sister's 'Mortal Kombat' death [9 News]

Are Video Game Predators After Your Children?

Mike Fahey — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 11:20:00 MDT

Here I am trying to get my girlfriend to let me play Halo 3 online with her 8-year-old son and USA Today has to go and release another sexual predators using video game consoles to get to your children story. The story, titled "Predators use gaming consoles to 'get foot in the door'", details several cases in which child predators used games like World of Warcraft and Halo to gain access to children, and the efforts of law enforcement officials who are now forced to play video games undercover to try and catch criminals.

"Child predators are migrating from traditional methods to alternate media," says Detective Lt. Thomas Kish of the Michigan State Police. "They are going to places where children are."

This is the kind of story that would be easy to dismiss as anti-gaming propaganda - were it not entirely factual.

I personally know someone in the computer forensics field who has attended a National Conference, during which they recieved training from Microsoft on how to retrieve data from Xbox systems to aid in investigations, and some of the stories he has told me are completely chilling. Adults pretending to be children, asking if they can stop by to drop off a new game for their little friends after bonding via Xbox Live, for instance. Hell, Nintendo's friend code system is only safe until your child starts visiting internet forums to exchange them with 'friends'.

The sad fact of the matter is that child predators do indeed go where children are, and parents need to pay extremely close attention to who their children are interacting with when gaming online via console or television. All of the major consoles contain parental controls, but they are not electronic replacements for true parental controls.

Predators use gaming consoles to 'get foot in the door' [USA Today - Thanks David]

Bastard Thieves Steal PS3 From Disabled Teenager

Luke Plunkett — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 06:40:00 MDT

Australian teenager Zak Touilii suffers from duchenne muscular dystrophy, a disease that's left him confined to a wheelchair for most of his life. When presented with the opportunity to request something from the Make a Wish Foundation, Zak opted for a PlayStation 3, which the charity donated to him along with a bunch of games. Sadly, thieves broke into his home last week and made off with some of the family's valuables, including jewellery, appliances and, yes, Zak's PS3, along with all his games. So, so low.

Thugs steal disabled boy's PlayStation 3 [Daily Telegraph]

Teen Crime Spree Inspired By Grand Theft Auto

Mike Fahey — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:00:00 MDT

Six teenagers were in court today following an all-night crime spree that began late Wednesday night and lasted into the early morning hours. The six teens allegedly began the evening with a mugging outside of a Nassau County, New York supermarket, eventually parading down a Garden City street carrying baseball bats and a crow bar, robbing one motorist and smashing a passing vehicle with a bat. What would cause such behavior in our impressionable young teens? Grand Theft Auto, of course.

"It was determined that they were emulating the character in that Grand Theft Auto game, going on a crime spree" using weapons and tactics inspired by the controversial video game, said Det. Sgt. Anthony Repalone, a Nassau police spokesman.

"We got certain admissions" from the boys, Repalone said.

Good luck on using the old GTA defense boys. It might just work, unless of course the prosecutors play the "You are all obviously f***ing morons" card.

Cops: Video game inspired crime spree [Newsday.com]

Another Akihabara Stabbing Today

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 01:00:00 MDT

Just hours ago, a man stabbed a police officer in Akihabara during a random bag check. This comes in the wake of the tragedy earlier this month when Tomohiro Kato (pictured) drove through Akihabara in a truck and proceeded to stab 18 pedestrians with a knifes, killing 7. Today's incident happened at 1:30pm Japan Time, and the individual that attacked the officer is being detained and questioned. The officer sustained a slight injury to the hand as the knife was apparently small.

Tokyo's game/anime/manga haven Akihabara certainly doesn't seem as safe as it once appeared...

秋葉原で男が警察官に切りつける [Yahoo Japan via Canned Dogs]

Drugs Are Bad, May Lead To Urine-Soaked Consoles

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 19:30:24 MDT

There's nothing that will make one feel more confident about one's life choices than combing through the police blotter. As a gamer and roommate myself, the Seattle Post Intelligencer's "Seattle 911" blog — which does the police report harvesting for you — makes me feel like one of the world's finest human beings. In a recent story about a scuffle between a pot head and his live-in gamer buddy, we learn not resolve our differences as these two do.

According to Seattle 911, after one too many disagreeable bong-hitting sessions, the roommate who gets high only on life shattered said bong on the sidewalk. Bong-smasher was met the next day with a wet Xbox that "smelled like urine" and controllers that were partially glued to... something. No arrests were made.

Clearly not news, just one of those daily affirmation type stories that reminds you that you're not a total loser.

Dumb criminal tricks [Seattle 911 - thanks, Ted?]

High Street Retailers Sell Mature Games To Underage Girl

Mike Fahey — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 08:40:00 MDT

Which should children in the UK resort to buying mature games online when they can simply pop down the shops and pick one up? UK magazine Which? Computing tested the resolve of High Street retail store clerks by having a 15 year-old girl attempt to purchase 18-rated games from various shops, with three of the stores actually going through with the transaction. At Woolworths, Game, and Maplin the young lady purchased GTA Vice City Stories, Condemned 2, and Hitman respectively. The three stores are currently investigating the transactions.

Not so much a big deal here in the states, selling 18 rated games to underage children in the UK is an offense under the Video Recordings Act, punishable by fines of up to £5,000 and/or six months' jail.

If you ask me, I blame their use of a 15 year-old girl against the poor, unsuspecting video game store clerks. Looking back on my own underage years, some of the stupidest things I've ever done were for the sake of 15 year-old girls, the kryptonite of 13-17 year-old boys everywhere.

Kids buy 18-rated games on high street [TechRadar UK]

Kids Using Internet To Buy 18-Rated Games

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 07:00:00 MDT

Parents! UK children are illegally buying violent video games via the internet says the UK's Trading Standards Institute. Under 18 kiddos have been purchasing games like Grand Theft Auto IV through online auction sites, paying with postal orders. An investigation by the Welsh Heads of Trading Standards showed that enlisted volunteers between the ages of 12 and 16 were able to easily purchase 18-rated games on auction sites. Out of 44 purchase attempts, 38 were successful. To combat this problem, authorities recommend that online traders use companies that run age checks on customers, which were "very quick and relatively cheap". And since selling 18-rated games to minors is illegal, it's certainly worth the investment. Though! Shouldn't we be more worried about underage kids downloading entire 18-rated games off the internet illegally and looking at obscene amounts of free porn? That seems like a more pressing problem...

Youths 'buy violent games online' [BBC] [Pic]

Drugs for PSP Deal Goes Sour

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 22:00:00 MDT

Last year in Worcester, England, 22 year-old Steven Priddey claims he made a deal with store employee Richard Shurmer to exchange cannabis for a PSP. Shurmer claims that Priddey simply stole the PSP from the store! Security cameras show Priddey sticking the portable down his pants. But during questioning, Shurmer did admit that he bought the drug from Priddey twice before, but did not give him permission to take the PSP.

And how did this happy tale end? While Priddey's lawyers said cannabis clouded his judgment, Priddey was found guilty — because Shurmer, as an employee, does not have the authority to give out merchandise. While still stating that he had been given permission to take the PSP, Priddey was sentenced to probation for 12 months and must pay £450GBP (approx. US$698) in costs and £65GBP (approx. US$100) in compensation. Drugs are helluva of drug.

Dope-using thief has now given up - court [Worcester News via PSP Fanboy] [Pic]

Akihabara Killing To Cause Japanese Internet Regulation?

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 06:40:00 MDT

It's been several days since tragedy hit Akihabara. While the internet is having its own grinning nerd witch hunt, the Japanese media is having its own. Standard defaults are bandied about (video games, anime). Website Canned Dogs has a handy recap:

• Chugoku Shimbun states the the "Dagger knife" the killer used is an featured in popular games like Dragon Quest.
• Yomiuri Online also says the "Dagger knife" is also in video games and quite popular with teenagers.
• Zakzak points out that the killer was into doujin games like Eternal Fighter Zero and Chantelise, and he apparently loves a cutesy bullet hell shooter for the PC.
• According to Yahoo, Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications Hiroya Masuda is keen to regulate dangerous information on the internet, since the Akihabara killer posted his plans on a cell phone BBS (not 2ch) about his murderous plans before authorities could stop him.

And like clockwork, the agendas descend like vultures. Lovely.

Akiba Incident [Canned Dogs]

Internet Vigilante Searches For Akihabara Tragedy Grinning Morons

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 07:00:00 MDT

Previously we brought word of the tragedy that hit Tokyo's gaming/anime/manga district Akihabara. A 25-year-old-man attacked 17, killing 7. Horrible, horrible stuff. When reporters showed up on the scenes, some idiots got very excited to be on TV! Because when people have been mowed down with a truck and stabbed, there's nothing more exciting than getting on TV. Forget that, you know, the streets were literally covered in blood. Huge Japanese forum 2-channel has launched an effort to actually expose the identities of the shameless dummies who grinned and waved at the TV cameras. A "Wanted" YouTube video even popped up recently. Certainly, these people acted disrespectful, but not sure if vigilante internet justice is appropriate either.

Hit the jump for the YouTube video.

More Screens Here [Japan Probe]

Details Surface About Akihabara Killer (Ninja Gaiden 2 Confusion)

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 03:00:00 MDT

As we reported earlier, tragedy struck Tokyo's video game/anime/manga district Akihabara this Sunday. A 25-year-old-man stabbed 17, killing 7. Truly, truly horrible stuff. The killer's name is Tomohiro Kato, and according to blog Japan Probe, details about him include: He had been to Akihabara many times in the past. He worked for a Tokyo-based temp company and had been sent to Shizuoka for work. He played tennis in school. One of his year book sketches includes a character from Namco RPG Tales of Destiny with messages he wrote in English (after the jump). The mass media has already latched onto the game connection, instead of the tennis one to explain this senseless spree. (Because tennis driving people to kill makes no sense — but apparently video games does!)

The chilling part (if trying to kill 17 people wasn't chilling enough!) is how Kato chronicled the events leading up to his mass murders. Truly disturbing. AFP via Yahoo! News incorrectly points out: "On a different site, an anonymous posting on May 27 was entitled 'A disaster in Akihabara' and warned that an incident would take place on June 5." As commenter muu points out, the "disaster" that the thread is referring to? Ninja Gaiden 2 — which went on sale, you guessed it, on June 5th in, that's right, Akihabara. The thread is apparently nothing more than a fanboy flamewar. That Ninja Gaiden 2 Xbox 360/PS3 fanboy fight appeared on television news here as well (above). Yahoo! News Japan has pulled its original story, but at time of posting Yahoo! News was still running that AFP story.

For those interested in how this horrible event might change Akihabara, check out the below post for insights.

AKB Massacre [MetaのTame]

Seven Dead in Rampage in Tokyo Video Game District

Owen Good — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 08:00:00 MDT

Seven are dead in Tokyo after a 25-year-old man plowed his truck through a crowd of people, then pulled a knife and stabbed 18. The attack happened Sunday afternoon in Tokyo's Akihabara Electric Town, a district well known to video game, comic book and cosplay enthusiasts.

The victims range in age from 19 to 74 and include five men and one woman. Details still are coming in as to the identity and condition of others. Eleven more were wounded in the knife attack, two of them critically.

UPDATE: BBC News, quoting Kyodo News, reports the suspect's name is Tomohiro Kato, 25, and he is in custody. The female victim was 21 years old. An eyewitness account said Kato "jumped on top of a man he had hit with his vehicle and stabbed him with a knife many times. Walking toward Akihabara station, he slashed nearby people at random.'' There are more details and video on the BBC link.

Police said the man drove a rented truck into a crowd, then jumped from the vehicle with a knife to stab those he'd knocked down. "The suspect told police that he came to Akihabara to kill people," Jiro Akaogi, a spokesman for the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, told The Associated Press. "He said he was tired of life. He said he was sick of everything."

Akihabara is described by some as an otaku mecca, especially for manga and anime enthusiasts. The district is well known for its Golden Mile, home of numerous video game parlors occupying several floors. Cosplayers can typically find an entire floor catering to them in Akihabara's department stores.

We'll update this story as more rolls in — of course when Brian Ashcraft is available I'll ask if he has any local perspective on the story. It's dominating Japanese media right now, as you can well imagine it would.

At Least Seven Killed in Tokyo Stabbing Spree [CNN.com via AP]
Akihabara — The Electric Heart of of Asia
[Angelfire]

World Of Warcraft Gamer Arrested For Kidnapping Underage Player

Michael McWhertor — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 19:20:09 MDT

Morgan Douglas Jones was arrested on kidnapping charges when Saddie "Elaine" Julian, just 14 years old, ran away with him on a trip from Boise, Idaho to Franklin County, Washington. That's where Jones was ultimately arrested and Julian was recovered safely. According to police detectives, the two had met in World of Warcraft. Jones is 27 years old and apparently the police get all uptight about you transporting girls half your age across state lines.

An Amber Alert was issued for Julian last week, but authorities caught up with the two alleged WoW fans earlier today. Incidentally, Jones was driving a 2008 Chevy Aveo with the license plate OMGROFL. True story. It's one of those rare runaway/kidnapping situations we can all laugh about. Good times.

Missing Boise teen found safe at Wash. campground [KTVB - thanks, Patient]

Xbox 360 "Stolen", Xbox Appears In Its Place

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 29 May 2008 04:00:00 MDT

Over at Northwestern University, an Xbox 360 was stolen from a locked dorm hall basement closet on May 11th. When the student checked the locked closet on May 22nd, he found an original Xbox inside. Oh, the hi-jinx! The kicker? Only one other dorm hall government officer and that student have access to the closet. This sounds less like a robbery and more like a practical joke — or a trade, even!

Xbox 360 Stolen [The Daily Northwestern via Binge Gamer via Xbox 360 Fanboy]

PSP Used In Alleged Upskirt Crime

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 29 May 2008 03:00:00 MDT

A deputy head of a Nagoya technical college has been arrested for supposedly using a PSP and PSP camera peripheral to look up the skirt of a 19 year-old female. On the 27th, the 59 year-old college administrator was apparently caught using the PSP Chotto Shot peripheral on the Nagoya Kintetsu train line. He has been arrested under anti-stalking legislation. The above TV news reenactment describes how the crime is believed to have gone down.

スカート内盗撮で59歳副校長を逮捕 [nikkansports via my game news flash]

Steal Over 1,000 PS3s, Get Caught, Go to Jail

Brian Ashcraft — Thu, 22 May 2008 01:00:00 MDT

Albania-born Partizan Zejak, aged 28, and Nard Paloka, 29, have been convicted for stealing 1,440 PS3s last May from a PS3 distributor in Northampton, UK. Both Paloka and Zejak were previously employed by the distributor and now face prison sentences for the theft. Prosecuters stated that the pair were not the masterminds, but rather, used their knowlegde of the distributor's warehouse and security. They were able to evade the security guard by telling him they were picking up a shipment. The theft was discovered later that same day. According to the Northampton Chronicle, the value of their score was £700,000, or roughly US 1.3 million dollars. That's alotta money! That's alotta consoles!!

PS3s Stolen [Northampton Chronicle via PS3 Fanboy]

Sony Take "Appropriate Action" Against Uncharted Airgun

Brian Ashcraft — Tue, 20 May 2008 05:00:00 MDT

Yeah, that Uncharted airgun? Totally not official. And not being official (and trying to make money off the official product) tends to piss folks off. A Sony mouthpiece says this about the King of Swords gun:

The Drake's Gun is not licensed or in any way sanctioned by SCE and one we certainly do not condone... We are investigating the source of this product and will proceed with the most appropriate action.

Like telling King of Swords to put the newer blond lady sidekick in its ad?
Sony To Take Action [Games Industry]

Mortal Kombat Killers

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 19 May 2008 06:40:00 MDT

As previously noted, a 7 year-old girl is dead, and two teens are being tried as adults. A Colorado judge ruled last Friday that there was enough evidence to take Lamar Roberts, 17, and Heather Trujillo, 16, for child abuse resulting in the death of Trujillo's half-sister, Zoe Gracia. Both will be tried as adults. According to authorities, Gracia died after being kicked, hit and pounded on the floor as the two teens re-enacted Mortal Kombat. Roberts pushed Zoe, twisted the child's arms and held her ankles, according to Trujillo. Police Detective Kathy Halldorson said that Roberts told a friend, "he was doing martial arts on her (Zoe) and that his hands were registered weapons." Odd that this Mortal Kombat finger pointing continues in light of comments from Gracia's aunt, who claims video games do not factor into this killing. Tasteless fatality jokes and worrying about how-this-affects-games aside, this is a terrible, terrible tragedy.

Mortal Kombat Killing [The Denver Channel Thanks, Michael!]

Virtual Property Disputes Landing in Real Courts

Maggie Greene — Sat, 17 May 2008 14:30:00 MDT

Ok, so virtual property disputes aren't exactly new, but there's a little wrap up on some of the current issues over at a Canadian website. Most of the issues discussed revolve around Second Life, but the questions of virtual property and other virtual issues are getting increasing attention:

[Entertainment lawyer Susan] Abramovitch said the virtual economy has opened the door to new legal issues that are only starting to be addressed around the world.

"The original question is, do we actually need to specifically regulate the virtual economy?" Abramovitch said. "Is it different enough to create challenges or do the regulations that exist in our physical world apply?"
The answer, she said, is gaining importance because private companies currently dictate the "rules" of the virtual world through their end user licence agreements.

Concerns regarding EULAs have gotten a fair bit of (academic) attention in the past couple of months, but the fact that these "virtual" cases are getting real world settlements raises a lot of interesting questions.

Virtual world disputes landing in real-world courts [Canada.com]

Chengdu Police Arrest Two Gold Farmers

Maggie Greene — Sun, 11 May 2008 12:30:00 MDT

Steve at PlayNoEvil noted this little news story, which involves two Chinese gold farmers who have pulled in over $200K USD being arrested in China. Why? How, exactly? Well, it would appear that one of the pair felt they were being swindled out of profits and reported his partner to the police:

Chengdu's Shuangliu county has arrested two virtual item and currency traders, surnamed Li and Zhang, focused on tapping out The9's (Nasdaq: NCTY) licensed MMORPG World of Warcraft (WoW), reports Chengdu Evening News. Police arrested the pair after Li reported Zhang for unfair revenue distribution. Going into business last August, the gold miners accumulated more than 20 employees with 20 computers to generate RMB 1.6 million in seven months of dealing.

Oopsies. I'll be nosing around for more on this story (like exactly what the pair was arrested for), but if any intrepid readers come across anything, send it my way. As Steve at PlayNoEvil notes, "Turn up the Irony Meter to 11. After all, with all of the complaints in the US about gold farming, it takes the Chinese to stand up and do something about it."

WoW Gold Miner Offers Himself Up To Police [Pacific Epoch via PlayNoEvil

Fla Supreme Court Hears Xbox Killers' Appeal

Brian Crecente — Tue, 06 May 2008 08:00:00 MDT

The three man convicted of slaughtering six people in 2004 with baseball bats in a Florida home because of an Xbox should have been tried separately, a lawyer told the Florida Supreme Court on Monday.

Jerone Hunter and Troy Victorino were both sentenced to death by electric chair or lethal injection in 2006, the third man received a life sentence without parole.

Hunter's attorney argued earlier this week that his client should be spared from execution because he was acting under the "domination" of Victorino, that he had no prior criminal record and suffers from schizophrenia.

The supreme court will make their decision at a later date, but I'd like to think that this is just the last desperate attempt of a vicious killer to escape his just punishment and that the court will be quick in crushing this man's last hopes.

For those of you who don't recall the case, Victorino was angry because one of the victims took his Xbox and clothing from her grandparents vacant home, where he had been squatting, so he crept into her home and bludgeoned her and five others to death with baseball bats as they lay sleeping in bed.

Supreme Court hears death sentence appeal in Xbox slayings [AP]

Report Casts Doubt On GTA IV Related Stabbing

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 17:40:37 MDT

A stabbing reported by the BBC to have occurred by a perpetrator waiting in line for a midnight UK launch of Grand Theft Auto IV may be completely unrelated and the result of "media panic" according to conflicting reports. VNU cites GamesRadar as the source, which credits a GameStation employee who told the outlet that the crime committed against a passer-by "had categorically not pre-ordered the game" and that the victim was not in the store's queue.

Theories abound that drunken pub goers nearby had been the ones getting all stabby. We're not sure who to believe in this case, the BBC (sorry, who?) or some guy who works at GameStation who cracked the case for GamesRadar. It's all so confusing and tangential, but at least we got a fun story out of it! :(

Grand Theft Auto stabbing disputed [VNU]
GTA stabbing "nothing to do with GTA" [GamesRadar]

GTA IV Thief Attacks GameStop Employees, ...

Michael McWhertor — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:40:15 MDT

GTA IV Thief Attacks GameStop Employees, Gets Arrested. 27-year old Dennis Richard Fiel was arrested on suspicion of felony robbery charges after police say he sprayed an unidentified number of GameStop employees with Mace and bolted with a couple copies of Grand Theft Auto IV under his arm. Without even paying too! I know. The San Diego area man was picked up at a Japanese BBQ joint and is, allegedly, very very dumb. Grand theft? Hardly, dude [Union Tribune]

Art Imitates Life - Man Stabbed In GTA IV Queue

Mike Fahey — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 10:00:00 MDT

A queue of gamers waiting in line at a Gamestation store in South London were treated to a gruesome preview of the game they would soon be playing when a hooded man who had seemingly been waiting in line for the game repeatedly stabbed a 23-year-old male who had been passing by. Around 50-100 people were present at the Gamestation in Croyden when the attack occurred, with members of the queuing public contact the police. The victim was discovered a short distance from the store and was taken to a hospital and treated for multiple stab wounds.

Authorities are currently looking for "a light skinned black man aged about 21, 6ft 5ins tall, of medium build wearing a light grey hooded top," while the mainstream media is currently seeking the best possible way to shock the living hell out of the non-gaming public with the headline for this story. I think we're going to have to give them this one. The assailant just picked a really inconvenient time to go apeshit.

Stab attack at Grand Theft queue [BBC News - Thanks g2dat]

Report: UPS Is Stealin' Ur GTA IV

Michael McWhertor — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 17:30:01 MDT

As we're about to crest on the Grand Theft Auto IV hype wave, Ars Technica passes on a somewhat amusing, definitely puzzling anecdote, writing that UPS may be experiencing an upswing in employee theft, with GTA IV to blame. Hearsay? Oh, totally, but Ars passes on that "In one 24-hour period, three workers were fired, and more interviews were scheduled for today that would likely end in termination."

The story comes from someone who appears to work in human resources or security, claiming that tracking down the offending GTA IV package thief isn't hard. Want to learn how you're going to be snatched, sticky fingered UPS man? Ars has the details.

Grand Theft UPS: copies of GTA stolen en route to retailers [Ars Technica]

Akihabara Ass Flasher Arrested!

Brian Ashcraft — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 21:00:02 MDT

She came, see saw, she showed her rear. Several times. Last weekend, Ass Flasher Asuka Sawamoto mooned all of nerdom during a "performance" in Akihabara. The 30-year-old Sawamoto's had several run-ins with the law, and earlier this week was was arrested for creating a public nuisance. Yes, this was actually NATIONAL NEWS in Japan! According to police reports, Sawamoto is 30 years old. So! Let this be a lesson to you all: Don't flash your ass in Akihabara. Flashing your ass in Akihabara causes a public nuisance, kids.
Gravia Model Arrested [TBS via Canned Dogs] [NSFW Pic]

Butt Flasher Lady Returns For More Butt Flashing!

Brian Ashcraft — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 01:00:55 MDT

Even cops can't stop Ass Flasher. Tush thong lady Asuka Sawamoto hit Akihabara this week and hit it hard — two cheeks at a time. Previously, Sawamoto mooned all of nerdom, causing a mob scene of sweaty dorks with cameras and boners. The act hit Yahoo! News Japan. While the cops have been cracking down on Akihabara street performances to hopes of avoiding such shameful (and potentially dangerous) displays. The "singer" was back for the hat trick this Sunday, putting her arse out for the third time. This time TV crews were on hand to catch the cheeky act and butt in for a quick interview or two.

Hit the jump for a pic of the ass flashery madness! It's somewhat safe for work. But creepy as hell.

Sawamoto Flashing [Akiba Blog]

GTA Will "Knock Me Out And Take My Gold Jesus Cross"

Luke Plunkett — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 23:30:00 MDT

Jonathan Lee Riches is a prisoner at a Williamsburg County federal corrections centre. Jonathan Lee Riches is also nuttier than a bag full of crushed nuts. The 31 year-old partly blames GTA for his stint in the slammer, and has filed a restraining order against Take-Two, Rockstar and, best of all, Grand Theft Auto itself. Why? He says "Defendants put me in prison. I face imminent danger from violent inmates who played Grand Theft Auto who will knock me out and take my gold Jesus cross". Brilliant. I say only "partly", however, because this is the same guy who last year filed suits against Barry Bonds, MLB commissioner Bud Selig and...Hank Aaron's bat, hoping to nab himself "42,000,000 million dollars in Swiss Francs". He also sued disgraced footballer Michael Vick for "63,000,000,000 billion dollars". So, so, so nutty.
Inmate Files Restraining Order Against GTA [Next-Gen]
Inmate Files Another Bizarre Lawsuit [Fox News]

Pokemon Event Threatened, Event So Cancelled

Brian Ashcraft — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 05:00:39 MDT

April Pokémon card game events in Tokyo, Nagoya and Fukuoka have been cancelled after a blackmail letter threatened to disrupt the Tokyo event. The blackmail letter only mentioned the April 12th and 13th Tokyo event, but the Pokémon Company decided to nix the April 20th Nagoya and April 29th Fukuoka events as well. Says a spokesperson:

We thought the safety of our customers is our top priority. We deeply apologize for the cancellation.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department has begun investing the case and whether multiple individuals are involved with the blackmail. If so, the police hope to catch 'em all.
Pokemon Event Cancelled [Mainichi] [Pic]

NCsoft Shuts Down Illegal Servers

Maggie Greene — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 10:30:00 MDT

NCsoft is stepping up the battle against IP theft, in this case targeting illegal servers in eastern Europe (concentrating on Greece and Russia). Last year, they successfully brought a suit against a Greek company who was profiting from the use of illegal Lineage II servers; they're continuing the global fight. Full release after the jump.

BRIGHTON, England (10th April 2008) - NCsoft®, the world-leading, publisher of massively multiplayer online games such as Guild Wars®, Lineage® II and City of Heroes®, today announced that it was stepping up its fight against the growing menace of intellectual property theft. This action comes as a direct response to the rise of illegal online game servers throughout Eastern Europe, particularly in Greece and Russia where NCsoft's fantasy-based online role playing game, Lineage II, is extremely popular.

The fraudulent servers in question are being used by players playing at home and in internet cafes, but such unauthorised servers often feature - or require users to download - illegally modified and potentially harmful game data, thereby changing the intended online experience.

NCsoft's European office has identified several prominent illegal servers across Europe and is in the process of taking action against individuals and corporations deemed to be in breach of international copyright laws. In a lawsuit that was commenced last year in Greece, NCsoft successfully obtained a court order against Internet Cafe business, 'e-GLOBAL' following which four of its cafes were raided and illegal software was seized. This led to the shutting down of illegal servers on which pirate copies of Lineage II software was loaded. Georgios Katostaris - Chairman of the Board and Managing Director, Constantinos Zygouras - Vice-Chairman of the Board and Managing Director, Athanassios Dobros - Deputy Managing Director and Dimitrios Koutsoukos - Administrator of the company under the name 'INTERNET DYNAMICS LLC' have all been made personal defendants to the proceedings that are continuing in the Greek Courts in which NCsoft is seeking damages as well as criminal remedies.

"Illegal game servers, such as those operating from e-GLOBAL, have a hugely negative impact on both NCsoft Europe and its customers," commented Max Brown, NCsoft Europe's Sales & Operations Director. "They seriously affect the player's experience of our products and rob the company of potential revenue that is used to further enhance the player experience on official servers. NCsoft's loss in revenue from e-GLOBAL's operation is estimated in excess of six million Euros. We are defiant in our resolve to stamp out theft of NCsoft's intellectual properties and are prepared to take the strongest measures to do so."

NCsoft has a proven track record in combating illegal servers, having worked with the FBI in November 2006 to shut down a substantial unofficial Lineage II server run by US-based website, L2Extreme.com. Following multiple raids across cities throughout the US, L2Extreme's fraudulent servers - which claimed to support 50,000 active users - were taken offline, as was the L2Extreme.com website.

More Crimes to Blame on GTA IV

ogood — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 19:00:00 MDT

If GTA IV is going to be truly groundbreaking, then it will have to break ground in another realm: Real-life crimes to blame on it. Happily, GamesRadar is on the leading edge of this, spotting eight new crimes that imbecilic mainstream media will be thrilled to pin on "gamers," Rockstar, and this particular title.

Bad deeds 2.0 include:

• Driving while talking on a cell phone
• Simple assault
• Hotboxing a car

Funny take that doubles as a feature on some of the new stuff you'll be able to do, in and out of mission, in GTA IV.

8 new crimes that'll be blamed on GTA IV [GamesRadar]

Don't Blame Sonic For Hedgehog Violence

Mike Fahey — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 11:20:00 MDT

We have to nip this story in the bud before the mainstream media get a hold of it, though it may already be too late! There is absolutely no connection between Sonic the Hedgehog and the New Zealand man who allegedly assaulted a 15-year-old boy with a flying erinaceus europaeus.

"It hit the victim in the leg, causing a large, red welt and several puncture marks," said Senior Sgt Bruce Jenkins, in the North Island town of Whakatane.

The suspect has been charged with assault with a weapon (the hedgehog) and faces trial on April 17th. Police cannot tell if the hedgehog, found on the ground dead after the assault, was alive pre-flight. The gaming community needs to distance ourselves from this incident quickly, before another gaming icon comes under fire from major media outlets. Gamers don't mildly injure people. Crazy men flinging small pointy mammals mildly injure people.

NZ man 'used hedgehog as weapon' [BBC - Ninja Girlden]

Tiger Mauling Victim Becomes Wii Remote Thief

Michael McWhertor — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:20:01 MDT

It's the same old story. One day you're getting mauled by a tiger with your buddies, the next you're suing the city of San Francisco and (allegedly!) shoplifting Wii controllers. That's the case for 19 year old Paul Dhaliwal who was arrested last week on shoplifting charges, nabbed by security personnel who claim he had stuffed two Wii remotes down his pants at a San Leandro Target store.

Yes, it's weird. You'd think that having your 17-year old buddy clawed to death by a wild tiger would scare you straight on just about everything, but it doesn't appear that alleged Wii remote thievery is Mr. Dhaliwal's first offense. At least Nintendo can say they've cornered the market on Alpha Tiger Mauled Teens. No one's done that before.

San Jose brothers maimed by zoo tiger allege negligence, defamation [San Jose Mercury News - thanks, Adam!]

Team Ninja Reacts to Kanagawa Rampage

Brian Crecente — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 11:00:00 MDT

It wasn't until Team Ninja's Yosuke Hayashi stepped off the plane in the States this week that he heard about the connection some in the Japanese media were trying to draw between his recently released Ninja Gaiden game and the rampage of a disenfranchised gamer at a shopping center near Tokyo.

"We were just talking about it. We didn't fly in until last night and I didn't know about it until I got off the plane," Hayashi said through a translator Wednesday afternoon. "They told me there is stuff going on in the media in Japan, there is a game that was involved and it just so happens it was Ninja Gaiden DS."

Masahiro Kanagawa, 24, told police that on March 19 he decided he wanted to attack his sister and a local elementary school, but changed his mind and instead randomly picked a home and went inside and killed a 72-year-old man. Four days later, police say Kanagawa went to a shopping center and stabbed eight people, one of which later died.

The day after the stabbings, at least one television station pointed out that Kanagawa had a copy of Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword in his bag when he was arrested. The game went on sale in Japan on March 20 and police told at least one outlet they are looking into a possible connection.

"There is always going to be a motive for everything that happens," Hayashi said. "There is always a reason and a motive for a way a person acted and in this case, we are almost a party that has to react to a situation that obviously we didn't expect would be triggered by our game."

"Whoever has seen (the connection) in the news and the media we hope that they know what the true reason is, what the truth is behind why this person did this and that it's not connected or directly related to our game."

Kanagawa, who was a gamer, had been involved in at least one national Dead or Alive tournament in Japan and made it the finals, but Hayashi said that he had never been in contact with Tecmo or Team Ninja.

Hayashi, who says that he thinks the game is appropriate for teenagers to play, added that police have not contacted Tecmo or Team Ninja and that he believes the seemingly tangential connection between the stabbing and his game was one created by the media alone.

"The media should not be the ones answering the questions or defining the reasons why this incident happened," he said. "I want to believe that whoever is watching the news has their own judgment of what went on."

"What I said just now is more of a message to the media. Obviously there are victims here, the people who died and their families, so hopefully they don't see that as me trying to defend our company or product. That's just my message from me to the media. The media can report on these tragedies but they shouldn't just assume or lead into a question that doesn't have a definitive answer."