. But really.. this is kinda messed up.

EZK: I have declared war on the phrase "First Comment" all all variations of it. All will be replaced with a thumbs down. ;)

[sarcasm]Must have been the video games, I don't see any other traumatic experience that could have lead to this individuals criminal behavior.  [/sarcasm]

@GP what does smoking pot at age 5 have to do with anything?

Send him back to Old Zealand.

That'll learn 'im.

I, for one, am having trouble seeing how this follows from the judge's perspective as a cause.  I could see it being an inspiration if say, the judge really believes this guy can't tell fantasy from reality, but if that's the case, the problem is that the guy is a PSYCHOTIC, not that he saw this in a game.  In that case, he needs to be locked away for the good of society and treated.  Of course, since we don't have the judge's reasoning here, that gets pretty speculative.

it would be hard for Thompson to implicate GTA IV in this.  But if he does implicate it I will laugh so hard.

The Judge seems to be a fairly insane person to implicate GTA even though this guy has been smoking pot since five and getting abused often too.

The only possible effect Videogames can have on you is the complete destruction of your faith in humanity.

And again Thompson will ignore all the abuse and focus entirely on video games.  In a roundabout way, it's like he's FOR child abuse.

Twinkie defence, here we come!

-- If your wiimote goes snicker-snack, check your wrist-strap...

Just because someone takes the actions of a GTA main character does not mean he was molded from GTA.

-Loudspeaker
"Volume helps to get a point across but sharp teeth are better."

Actually I have a couple friends in NZ, one's an ex-cop from a family of cops, last time i talked to him (I admit it's been awhile) he thought such reasoning was the hallmark of idiots and fools.

Hunting the shadows of the troubled dreams.

[quote]Reid, according to the report, began smoking pot at age five.[/quote]

Five years? Holy. Fucking. Shit.

I mean, I like to indulge in Mary Jane from time to time myself, and I'm absolutely supportive of drug legalisation. But even I aknowledge that taking drugs (any drugs) at such a young age will seriously fuck you up. If not psycologicaly, then at least socialy - I mean, in what kind of environment has a child to grow up in to smoke pot at such an age?

But of course, the current convinient whipping boy (i.e., video games) will recieve all the blame. Because correlation totally equals causation, and all other possible influences are miniscule at best.

That's it, I'm going to new zealand to headbutt everyone.

Then I'll blame it on FIFA 2008

I facepalmed...

So...that's basically an insanity plea? 

"Don't blame me, the violent videogames I choose to buy and play religiously have corrupted my understanding of right and wrong"?

If true, perhaps anyone who plays videogames should be forced to undergo psychological screening on a regular basis to ensure they aren't being driven insane.  Or maybe we should ban videogames entirely, and force everyone to engage only in 'psyche-friendly' activities (as defined by the FDA).

This kind of thing fills me with contempt. Are the judge really that biased that he CHOOSES to ignore the fact that Reid is 25 years old, thus not very impressionable, been smoking pot since age 5, been sexually and physically abused by his parents and has had prior charges for assault and robbery?

And these people are supposed to be the objective, non-biased justice system... so much for that.

Wow, the "Video Game's Made Me" Card is like the new Last-resort when the Insanity card doesnt work!

It goes:

"IM INSANE"

"Why do you think that?"

"Uhhhh..... ROFLGARBLAGDERS?"

"Right.... try again"

"VIDEO GAMES MADE ME DO IT!"

"Okay, that one workds case closed! By the way, do you have a 360? maybe when you get out we can play Halo?"

"Nah, I dont really play games......"

"Oh, Okay, well see ya"

He's a scapegoating pothead who lived in a hellhole... with or without GTA, he'd have done this. Period.

Well,GTA is obviously responsible.I mean,how could smoking pot at 5,being sexually and physically abused have anything to do with this?

"Reid, according to the report, began smoking pot at age five. He had been physically and sexually abused while growing up, and continues to abuse drugs and alcohol. He has priors for assault and robbery. Moreover, he is a 25-year-old man, not an impressionable adolescent.

Yet a video game is to blame?"

Yes They didn't want to go through all that paper work. The jugde sounds lazy.

I think everyone here is blowing this out of proportion.  I doubt many people would disagree if the judge had said "His recreational pursuits gave him an idea that played into his existing hardwired violent and anti-social behaviour."

If you actually READ the quote from the judge, that's basically what it is coming down to - Blaming GTA for the idea, and the existing "hardwired" violent and anti-social behaviour for being open to the idea and then actually following through on it.

God these people are idiots...

Well this is just great; as if we didn't have enough of your crap over here, now we get your blame the game defense as well.

In all seriousness though, I hope that most people reading this article will actually go: "Drug and alcohol abuse, sexual and physical abuse, oh and video games, hmm maybe its got more to do with the former than the latter".

On a completely random sidenote: I was playing GTA IV last weekend with my Gran in the room and she kept asking how long the program I was watching was going for.

-ConstantNeophyte: always the newb, ALWAYS.

Hi ALL

Lets forget that even though youth violence as gone kiralık oto down since video-games started becoming more prominent, we can safely assertain that video games are causing more rent a car youth to become violent crimminals!