Kotaku
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review
Swords & Soldiers Micro-Review: Violence Included
WiiWare had been hurting for games about killing. But the originators of de Blob have released a cartoon-violent battle between Vikings, Aztecs and ninja monkeys to more than compensate. More » -
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Comment by carrliadiere: "Staring at the computer screen would keep Eric and Dylan from developing the social skills to merge with the rest... 24 Responses | Other threads
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violence
French Boy Stabs Sister Over Nintendo DS [Update]
A five year-old boy in the French town of Uckange has stabbed his ten year-old sister with a kitchen knife following an argument over a Nintendo DS, Le Post reports. More »
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Comment by Hooded_Robin: hmmm who gets the blame today, games or parents. 15 Responses | Other threads
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columbine: A true crime story
New Columbine Book Touches on Gaming Connections
Columbine: A True Crime Story offers a fresh perspective on the Columbine shooting, digging into the intricate web of Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold's lives, from video games to team sports, and how they went from cub scouts to killers. More »
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Comment by TheRemedy: Isn't this what they wanted? Infamy and a spot in the history books? I don't care why they did it,... 28 Responses | Other threads
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studies
Study Determines Violence Has No Effect on Games' Appeal
Researchers modified Half-Life 2 to study whether violence makes a game more enjoyable for players. The short answer: It does not. More »
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By Owen GoodComment by Komrade Kayce - Hero of Soviet Kotaku: I disagree with this study. Manhunt 2's sales numbers came from somewhere. It certainly wasn't from being a good game. Working... 16 Responses | Other threads
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murder
Petric Convicted Of Halo 3 Inspired Matricide
Daniel Petric, the Ohio teen who shot and killed his mother over a dispute involving Halo 3, was convicted today of aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder, and other charges related to the heinous crime.
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crime
Boys Hang Kitten With Game Controller, Sheriff Blames GTA
Two Mesa, Arizona boys have admitted to local law enforcement that they strangled a four month old cat with a video game controller and stoned it to death. Who's to blame? Grand Theft Auto.
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Comment by Necrotoxin: Thanks for ruining my day Kotaku. Did not want to read that. 45 Responses | Other threads
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Comment by Ramza69: Heck, I love gaming and even I'll admit that the current EA company sucks donkey somethings. EA used to be great... 9 Responses | Other threads
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gender
Gendering Game Violence
There's another great post at Vorpal Bunny Ranch, this one looking at the issue of female game protagonists and game violence — there seem to be different expectations placed on the reaction of female protagonists to violence that is par for the course for male characters. Oh, sure, violence may still be there, but it takes on a different tone. Is this societal expectations playing out on our consoles and PCs?: More »
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Comment by qxrt: The relation between gender and violence definitely translates into real life. Just a few days ago I was listening to... 19 Responses | Other threads
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angelina jolie
How Angelina Jolie Explains Game Violence To Her Kids
For a celebrity whose past is filled with questionable choices — nearly making out with her own brother on camera, having "Billy Bob" tattooed on her arm, making two Tomb Raider movies — Angelina Jolie has taken a shocking turn for the normal. The UN goodwill ambassador has a decent head on her shoulders, at least in terms of talking to her kids about violence and video games. More »
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Comment by lwelyk: "ambassador has a decent head on her soldiers," Good. I hate it when ambassadors have improper heads on their soldiers. 11 Responses | Other threads
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guns
Games, Guns, and Movies
Tom Endo has an interesting musing up over at the Escapist on the subject of guns, games, and game design — the issue at stake is what guns really mean in video games (his answer is 'not much, especially not compared to movies'). Dirty Harry may be a love letter to the .44 Magnum, but it's a more nuanced picture than we get in, say, Grand Theft Auto. Endo says we are not producing 'images of consequence,' and an overemphasis on pure mechanics has meant a stunted approach to violence: More »
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Comment by mfwahwah: I pretty much agree. Especially with your comments on RPGs and swords! FFVII had me loving the Buster Sword, VIII with... 5 Responses | Other threads
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no more heroes: desperate struggle
No More Heroes 2 To Come In Gory/Non Gory Flavors
In an attempt to avoid the censorship criticism that surrounded the European release of the original No More Heroes, Marvelous Interactive is to release two seperate boxed editions of the game - both with and without rivers of gore. More »
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Comment by maraxusofk: im just happy there is going to be a no more heroes 2. 4 Responses | Other threads
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dead space
Dead Space Ban: Fact or Fiction?
Remember the recent news that Dead Space has been banned in China, Japan, and Germany? Well, GamePolitics isn't buying it, saying the news doesn't pass the 'smell test' for a variety of reasons. Dead Space cleared both Australia's 'notoriously censorious' OFLC and the UK's BBFC (the same commission that banned Manhunt 2); Germany perhaps makes sense, but "Japan? The home of Resident Evil?"; and, oh yeah, the lack of any word from EA on the issue: More »
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Comment by chaos242: I thought that decapitations of humans or human-like things weren't allowed in Japan... 12 Responses | Other threads
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grand theft auto
Parents Fear GTA More Than Sex And Alcohol
Back in my days as a teen, my parents weren't afraid of anything as far as I was concerned, but not all 15-year-olds are 6'6" with a goatee. Today's parents have plenty to worry about in fact, though a recent survey performed at the family-focused consumer game site What They Play seems to indicate their priorities are a bit out of whack. They asked a series of asked over 1,600 respondents what they’d fear the most if their 17-year-old were to participate in a sleepover. The results, picked from single answers only - no multiple choice here - indicated that while 16% were concerned about pornography and 14% about beer, 19% voiced concerns that their child might end up playing Grand Theft Auto. More »
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By Mike FaheyComment by ViewtifulJason: Wow. Parents keep looking dumber in my eyes as each day passes. 1 Responses | Other threads
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facebook
Facebook Criticized For Violent "Game"
With some calling Facebook the new frontier for gaming, it's unsurprising that it keeps making headlines. After all, it's not part of the gaming industry unless someone's complaining about excessive violence. More »
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Comment by freespeech1: Wow, that's just retarded, REALLY! What the hell is going on with people lately, are they just bored and... more » | Other threads
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crime
One "Mortal Kombat Killer" Avoids Prison Term
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. More »
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Comment by Nubius does it for the Prinnies: wow..those eyes just shine with intelligence. Baseball bats anyone? more » | Other threads
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jack thompson
The Video Game Defense That Wasn't
Shortly after coming aboard here one of the first things I did was set up a filter to capture and set aside Jack Thompson's bullshit from all the tips cc'd to me. After the preamble to his professional obituary two weeks ago, I went back looking through the "Crazy Fucker" queue to see if I could find some kicking-and-screaming ravings that, even if they didn't deserve to run under the Kotaku nameplate, would at least be fun to read. Instead, I found something unexpected. More »
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By Owen GoodComment by svenhoek: Fuck Fireworks. Ghostbusting.: @MasterDex: Fayetteville is on the border of Fort Bragg. Im pretty sure that regardless of whether or not we market ourselves... more » | Other threads
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Activision's Small Animal Vendetta
Kotick: We Cater To Adults
Activision is well aware that most of its customers are over 18 and plans to address their R-rated expectations, Activision chairman and CEO Bobby Kotick told the Wall Street Journal's Kara Swisher at today's D6 event. More » -
grand theft childhood
Grand Theft Childhood Author Weighs in on GTAIV
The book Grand Theft Childhood got a good bit of attention upon its release, and the authors are back discussing reactions to the book, as well as issues that have cropped up (again) in the wake of GT IV. On the media frenzy, they have this to say: More »
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Comment by Rbastid: The blame for most problems shouldn't directly be place on any game or media source. It is either the fault... more » | Other threads
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gta iv
Art Imitates Life - Man Stabbed In GTA IV Queue
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.
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By Mike FaheyComment by freespeech: OH NO, THEY WERE RIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! EVERYONE PANIC AND STOP PLAYING VIDEO GAMES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! more » | Other threads
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hollywood
Matt Damon OK With Movie Violence, Not OK With Game Violence
Just because Matt Damon has been in some violent Bourne movies, doesn't mean he's gonna be in some violent Bourne game. No way! Originally Damon was in negotiations to lend his voice and likeness to the Sierra published game, but pulled out. Apparently he had issues with the game's violence. Since Matt Damon's publicist refused to comment, time to see what Matt Damon's mother thinks. Matt Damon's mother, the floor is yours: More »
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Comment by freespeech: @sandwiches: AND there lies the problem!!!!!!!!!!!!!! more » | Other threads
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critical criticism
'Reconciling the Irreconcilable': Criticism and Gaming
Lots of people have taken the criticism bull by the horns the past couple of weeks: with the Resident Evil 5 kerfluffle, the expected lead up to the GTA IV launch, and various other reasonably recent debates all coming together, it's no surprise that a number of talented writers have latched on to the faults of the gaming community (namely, we can dish it out but we can't take it). Mitch Krpata of Insult Swordfighting is the latest, and he takes on some recent community uproars: More »
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Comment by MasterDex: @seppukake: When I saw the RE5 trailer the first thing I thought was "Wow, amazing graphics, lotta zombies!" but I... more » | Other threads
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nice hook there
Another Day, Another 'Adult Crime Game Kids Love'
It's not just writers like us who can't get enough of GTA IV, oh no — what would a GTA release date be without people from all over weighing in? Mike Musgrove over at the Washington Post gives his opinion on the 'adult crime game kids love,' which turns into looking at some of the latest studies on the relationship between violence, video games and kids. Included is an interesting little tidbit about the Grand Theft Childhood: More »
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Comment by Lyner: Didn't Kotaku cover Grand theft Childhood like a week ago when it was posted as an X-play video? Yeah,... more » | Other threads
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oddities
Americans More Offended by Sex, Gay Kissing Than Severed Heads
A recent poll on parenting game guide What They Play, asks this: More »
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Comment by Liz-C: I am a bit late to this party and a bit offended by some of the comments on here. And... more » | Other threads
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video
Rawstory.com just posted a small summary and video footage of a UK News report on the 3rdSpace gaming vest that lets users feel their characters being shot in games. Activists in the UK are becoming alarmed by the vest thinking it will cause a rise in violence. More » -
shooting
Texas Shooting 'Game Related'?
You have to love how vague this stuff is; to me, leaving off the 'And they were playing a video game' part wouldn't diminish the story at all. More »
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Comment by papertowelsguitar: And as for Burgermeister personally attacking the reporter- completely uncalled for. If you have a problem with her or her... more » | Other threads
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journalism
Cop Called Out On Blaming Violent Games
It's pretty standard now to hear people close to law enforcement, be they lawyers or police officers, blame much of the violent crime committed by youth on violent video games. Apparently, gamers and game journalists aren't the only ones to notice this, as a reporter for the Naples Daily News questioned when one police officer attributed the reason for a violent crime to a game. More »
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By torifComment by freespeech: HAHA, SUCK IT CAPTAIN TIM JERKOFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! more » | Other threads
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manhunt 2
Manhunt 2 Finally Gets UK Rating
Finally the long struggle that kept uson the edge of our seatsmildly interested for months has been resolved, and Manhunt 2 can finally be released on to store shelves in the UK. The Video Appeals Committee announced today that their decision to appeal the rejection of the game by the British Board of Film Classification remains upheld, and that the board has no choice but to issue an 18 certificate for the title. Director of the BBFC David Cooke whined a little bit about the decision.We twice rejected Manhunt 2, and then pursued a judicial review challenge, because we considered, after exceptionally thorough examination, that it posed a real potential harm risk. However, the Video Appeals Committee has again exercised its independent scrutiny. It is now clear, in the light of this decision, and our legal advice, that we have no alternative but to issue an '18' certificate to the game."
Rejoice, citizens of the United Kingdom! The decision not to purchase Manhunt 2 shall soon be yours! More »
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By Mike FaheyComment by Kikou-Shou: I would disagree that Manhunt 2 is "sub-par" True, its far from the greatest game made by Rockstar, but I... more » | Other threads
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comic
Video Game Violence: Counterpoint
Kotaku reader Arun pointed out a very apt Boondock strip that provides a nice counterpoint to yesterday's Video Game Violence post. I'd suggest going to the link below for a hella larger view of the strip unless you've got a monocle handy - and I'm guessing if you had a monocle it would always be handy. More »
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Comment by freespeech: why can you get banned for posting "old"?????? Boondocks are the shizzle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! more » | Other threads
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violence
Video Games & Violence
On a topic that is close to my heart, another educator is bemoaning what he sees as the ubiquity of violence in video games. More »
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Comment by bryjoered: This is such a stupid argument i mean obviously games are violent because America loves violence and all the better... more » | Other threads
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gamer goodness
Gamer Risks Death To Save Nephew
On September 4th of last year, firefighter Jeff Diederich came home from work to discover his year-old son Aiden lying strangely still in his crib, grey and yellowed from Jaundice. He and his wife Heather rushed to the hospital only to discover that Aiden needed a liver transplant, and was no way the always crowded National Donor List route would save him in time. Their only option was a living transplant, where a portion of a living donor's liver is transplanted into the recipient. The father offered to undergo the procedure, but his family changed his mind. The 40% risk of donor death meant that Heather would be left alone with two children, so they had to look elsewhere. Enter Aiden's Uncle, Jeff Shoemaker.Jeff, the uncle, recalls, "after seeing him laying there with all the tubes and hoses, cables and wires I think all my fears went away. My life was worth giving to save his, and if that's what it took, I was fine with that."
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By Mike FaheyComment by slappyMCslappy: Why do I think that FoxNews (or any news outlet) would spin this into bad press somehow???!?!?!?!?!?!?!? GREAT story by the... more » | Other threads
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ratings
What's More Violent: Mario or THE BIBLE?
Bruce Everiss, an industry vet who's worked at companies like Imagine and Codemasters, feels that games are being judged for content in a much harsher manner than other media. So he picked a comparison text at what we're sure was completely random (the Bible) and scanned it for adult content.There is a handy website that allows you to search the bible for content. Using this we find that the King James version has "harlot" in it 48 times, "sodomite" 5 times, "fornicator" 5 times, "smite" 133 times, "kill" 208 times and "maim" 7 times. This is shocking, you have to wonder what any right minded parent is doing exposing their children to this stuff.
So now kids can't play games OR read the Bible? Thanks a lot, Everiss. More »
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By Mark WilsonComment by graddy: @Strangelove: By the same token, however, many suggest, and have laid out quite logically, that religious beliefs (and culture in general)... more » | Other threads
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stupid kids
Child Demands Pokemon At Gunpoint
Okay, I know that Pokemans are the source of everything good in the world, but this is going a bit too far. A 10-year-old boy in Redwood City, California wanted a fellow student's Pokemon cards so badly that he brought an Airsoft gun to Roosevelt Elementary School, held it to the 6-year-old's forehead and demanded he hand them over. What the hell was going through this stupid child's head? You don't bring a gun - fake or otherwise - into a school because you want to steal Pokemon cards. YuGiOh cards sure, but not Pokemon cards. It's 2008 already, get with the program. The underage gunman has been suspended from school pending possible expulsion, and I am betting whoever it was at his house that owns an Airsoft gun wasn't the type of person to let such behavior go without a good whack on the ass with a belt. Yes yes, disciplining your children is wrong, what was I thinking? More »
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By Mike FaheyComment by Kovitlac: Kid deverse a swift boot in the year, and a year's worth of grounding. Unless, of course, it was the holographic... more » | Other threads
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esrb
Mature Games Are Down 50% Since 2005
For as violent a reputation as has been bestowed upon the video game industry, 'M' rated games only make a small percentage of their total numbers and, according to the ESRB, this small percentage is actually down 50% since 2005. Back then, 12% of titles were rated M. And in 2006, that figure was already down to 8%. In 2007, a year in which the ESRB rated 1,563 games, 'M' rated games only accounted for 6% of the titles. More »
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By Mark WilsonComment by chiefpoopingpants: @Mr. SiThNiNjA: So Guitar hero should be tracked as an accessory? Wiiplay is a game not an accessory. Deal with it. more » | Other threads
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clips
Watch No More Heroes Lose Gallons Of Blood
Want to see what Wii owners in Europe and Japan are missing out on, in terms of flowing rivers of blood, decapitations and amputations? Then watch xserothx's No More Heroes Death Scene Comparison clips for a study in regional censorship. This is grisly stuff, folks, and not for the faint of heart of virtual murder. Anyone wary of spoilers should skip 'em, as they're essentially every boss fight in the game. More » -
neat
America's Army Player Saves Real Life
It's the stuff press releases are made of, but the story is great to boot. Paxton Galvanek never had medical training, but he'd gone through medic certification in the America's Army video game. Then one November night as he drove down the highway with his family, he watched as an SUV flipped multiple times in the opposite lane. More » -
india
India Considering Ban on Violent Video Games
With a backstory that is apparently the absolute height of family melodrama, the Indian Parliament is currently considering a ban on violent games. According to speculation in a GameGuru article, after a political figure realized that the game she helped her grandson acquire - Manhunt 2 - was banned in the UK, she set out to make sure it would also be banned in India. Oh dear. As Desicritics intones: More »
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Comment by asTer0id: @SithNinja: Nice, make fun of something you don't understand. Show off your intelligence more why don't you. more » | Other threads
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opinion
'The Moral Cost of Video Games'
Another day, yet another op ed piece on the moral failings of video games - author Matthew Devereux says in the Christian Science Monitor that it's not the short-term consequences of violent video games parents (and society at large) should be worried about, but the moral decay caused by 'lack of moral consequence.' With the attention paid to the decisions of games like Bioshock and the potentials for subtle handling of dicey moral issues, it's a somewhat timely article, though I think Devereux is painting video games with far too broad a brush: More »
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Comment by Yotaru Vegeta: I have been playing "mature" games since I was about 13, and that was more than 10 years ago. Atrocities,... more » | Other threads
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crime
Man Stabbed in Fight Over Game
A 37-year-old Tennessee man was arrested yesterday for allegedly stabbing his uncle in the head and stomach after the two got into a fight over a video game, Chattanooga Police say. More »
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Comment by Chilly Hollow: @Syril: Premeditation can be viewed as something as basic as walking upstairs and getting your knife, then walking back down... more » | Other threads
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rockstar games
Sex Worker Advocate Points To GTA Violence As "Normalizing"
You may not be aware that today is the fifth annual International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers, but the Toronto Sun and Anastasia Kuzyk of the Sex Workers' Alliance of Toronto are. The latter was quote in the former as saying that "Sex work is a job, and violence isn't in the job description" and points to depictions of violence against prostitutes in popular culture as legitimizing. Specifically, Kuzyk points a finger at Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto series. More »
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Comment by Darien_Shields: Now I have the mental image of playing GTA IV, firing off an RPG at a crowd of gangsters and... more » | Other threads
violence
Denver, 10:19 AM
Mon Jul 6
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