Grisly Beheading Blamed On Hitman

18-year-old Jean Pierre Orlewicz is currently on trial for first-degree premeditated murder, after he and a friend ambushed 26-year-old Daniel Sorenson last November, stabbing him multiple times in the back before sawing off his head and burning his body. After the prosecution spent the better part of yesterday describing a young man fixated on committing a crime, the defense revealed the real reason behind the teen's murderous drive. Hitman. A CNN reported had obviously never played the game.

They dealt with it with a videogame called Hitman that he used to watch, and it was a video game where you got impressions that you would kill somebody - hit them from their backside, where they were not aware that they were being killed.

CNN Video Report On Trial [CNN via GamePolitics ]

Don't Blame Sonic For Hedgehog Violence

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.

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

Wii Blamed For Pansy Violence

After reading almost daily accounts of video games being blamed for some sort of horrific violence or another, it's lovely to see a lighter take on the same sort of story I often find myself writing, courtesy of satire news organization The Onion. In an article published today entitled "Wii Video Games Blamed For Rise In Effeminate Violence", The Onion takes a look at the growing trend of wuss on wuss violence inspired by Nintendo's console.

"The Wii's fluffy flowers and bright peach-colored sunlight glorify chasing precious talking rabbits with plungers," Greer said. "What kind of message is that sending to our children? That it's 'cool' to act like some kind of electrical elf or banana fairy?"

Wii Video Games Blamed For Rise In Effeminate Violence [The Onion - Thanks Kenneth!]

Violent Games Make Kids Ruthless, Bloodthirsty Killing Machines

An entire swarm of Kotakuites has bombarded the tips email with a story from KETV 7 in Omaha Nebraska entitled, "Video Games Normalize Killing, Doctors Say." A completely atrocious headline, though good enough to get the story linked from the main page of CNN. Less hard-hitting news and more of a research roundup, the article presents information from studies done by Iowa State University, Kansas State University, the Indiana School of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health showing that violent games normalize our children to violence...putting them more in tune with violent behavior and therefor much more likely to engage in it.

"Exposure to violent video games, even E rated video games, increases aggressive thoughts, increases pro-social behavior and increases general arousal," said Dr. Greg Snyder, a psychologist at Omaha's Children's Hospital.

Russian Man Killed Over Lineage II Clan Grudge

Lineage II turned deadly in Russia late last year, where two members of warring clans meeting face-to-face in the city of Ufa resulted in violence and death. A 33 year-old member of the Platanium clan named Albert agreed to me a 22 year-old from the rival Coo-clocks Clan (*sigh*) in persona following a nasty PVP session that left the former dead. During the meeting Albert was brutally beaten, later dying from his injuries on the way to the hospital. Upon his arrest, the young man expressed no remorse - simply explaining calmly why Albert had to die. The alleged killer has now been charged with murder.

What's worse is this isn't the first Lineage II-related death in Russia. Back in January one player stomped another to death while he was trying to break up a fight sparked during a real life meet-up.

What's even more crazy is that members of the Coo-clocks continue to harass the dead man's family, going as far as to threaten the life of his sister. That's some pretty insane clan loyalty right there if you ask me. One isolated crazy I can understand, but once a member of your clan beats a man to death...that's generally when you want to back off on the team spirit. Hit up the link below for the full story. More fuel for the fire.

Online game rivalry ends with real life murder [Russia Today via Game Politics]

Cybercast Warns Parents Away From Sexy Mass Effect

Conservative News Service Cybercast today issued a release entitled "Sex in Video Game Makes Waves Through Industry", which focuses on a topic that has been our own focus on numerous occasions for notably different reasons - the Mass Effect sex scene. The article is riddled with quotes from one Cathy Ruse, a lawyer and senior fellow for legal studies at the Family Research Council. I found it helpful to read her words while imagining her foaming at the mouth.

"There are cultural implications for feeding porn to kids in this way," and "when you do this, you're teaching them a distorted lesson about human sexuality and human dignity. These are lessons that they will take with them into adulthood and ultimately society," Ruse said.

Lawyer's Fate Pushed Back To 2008

Damn these game delays! It's always the one you're most interested in, isn't it? They never would have delayed Ninjabread Man, yet here we are with another big title pushed back to Spring 2008. While development on the JT Bar Trial is expected to wrap today, final verdict producer Judge Dava Tunis has indicated that testing and review of the extensive court record will most likely keep the results out of gamers' hands until Q1 2008. With games like Spore slated for the same release window, one has to wonder if the title will garner any notice at all when it finally hits. The verdict continues to garner harsh opposition from Florida lawyer Jackie T, who has filed multiple motions to have the game canceled altogether, though so far his track record of never hindering a game's release is intact. I guess we'll just have to find something else to play over the Christmas holiday. *sniffs*

Jack Thompson Bar Trial Wraps Up Today; Ruling Delayed into 2008 [Game Politics]

Moral Kombat Premieres At VGXPO

"I'm really pleased to screen the movie at VGXPO," said Spencer Halpin, the filmmaker behind the work, "and I envision us having a panel discussion with participants from the documentary debating the matter thoroughly."

Sports Columnist Says Video Games Desensitize Us To Sports Violence

This makes me wonder if the catastrophic injury to Buffalo Bills tight end Kevin Everett will make any real impression on the desensitized adolescents and adults raised with the cartoon violence of "Madden '08" or "NFL Blitz," or the absurd blood-and-guts scenarios associated with other Xbox games.

Another Take on the Creepy, Creepy 'Little Sisters'

The goal was to present players with difficult choices, 2K Boston President Kenneth Levine said.

Dr. Phil Tackles Video Game Violence

Jim Ward Talks Game Legislation

Every time a teen commits an act of violence these days I find myself holding my breath, waiting for information to surface about his video gaming habits, and apparently I am not alone. The San Jose Mercury News caught up with ESA Board chairman and LucasArts president Jim Ward to talk about the state of gaming legislation today, and his concerns echo my own pretty succinctly.

And, by the way, at any moment, if some kid in West Virginia goes and blows away 32 people, and they find out that he played a video game, guess what, we've got a problem again. Just as if he had watched a movie and then done that. Or just as if he had read "Catcher in the Rye" and blamed it on J.D. Salinger. . .

Gaming exec assesses impact of technology, legislation [Miami herald via Game Politics]

Video Game Stabbing Update

The two had been playing a sports video game when an argument erupted over who would play the next game, according to Lansdowne Police Chief Daniel J. Kortan Jr. "It was a dispute over the use of a video game," he said.

Teen Killed By Brother Over Video Game

"I don't believe the actual game itself was the cause of it. I don't believe they were acting out in any way or mimicking anything in a video game. I believe it was actual use of the game and whose turn it was," said Lansdowne Police Chief Daniel Kortan.

LaRouche Camp Calls Foul On VA Tech Report

NY Game Bill 3: Anticlimax

AMA To Recognize Game Addiction?

Do you spend all of your free time playing or reading about computer and video games? Ask your doctor about...