The recent school shooting in Winnenden, Germany was nothing short of tragedy that left 16 people dead, including the killer – 17 Year old Tim Kretschmer. It was inevitable that somebody would try to draw a tenuous link between the shooter and videogames. This time, it’s the UK’s Times, who’ve given us some very “carefully thought out details.â€
From The Times :
Remarkable parallels emerged between the video game and the 17-year-old’s rampage. In the game it is essential to hijack cars to move around. Kretschmer hijacked a car, held a pistol to the driver’s head and asked: “Should I have fun and pick off some more drivers?†Characters in the game, which is made by the French company Ubisoft and has sold 2.9m copies, wear black camouflage uniforms – the clothing Kretschmer wore on Wednesday.
Most sinister of all, Far Cry 2’s killer uses a Beretta 92 handgun, the weapon fired 112 times by Kretschmer. The game, which carries an 18 certificate in Britain, includes sequences in which the aiming, firing and reloading of a Beretta are portrayed in vivid detail. It also rewards players who shoot their victims in the head, the style of killing chosen by Kretschmer.
Also similar? They both occurred on planet Earth, and were carried out by humans. With hands. What they fail to mention in their videogame link is that fact that Tim’s father had been regularly taking him to a shooting range since he was 8, and that he had an almost unhealthy obsession with weapons. And, that Beretta? The only one of his father’s 15 guns that wasn’t safely locked away.
Thankfully, there’s one person in Europe with a little sense. Walter Hollstein, a sociologist working with the Council of Europe doesn’t think videogames magically turn people into ruthless killers.
“It’s nonsense to assume they turn adolescents into school shooters,†he said. “A variety of factors, such as helplessness, anger and loss of control, must come together for them to become the trigger, but the games themselves don’t make anyone a killer.â€
This happening in Germany of all places means that South African Xbox Live users are now even less likely to be permitted to download 18+ restricted content.
Source : The Times Online
Last Updated: March 16, 2009
Q121
March 16, 2009 at 13:41
Well the kid was also obsessed with table tennis, so at least this time Rockstar will get flack about their table tennis game and not GTA 😉
easy
March 16, 2009 at 13:47
whats the point rating games? seems like every snot nosed kid is playing gta4, gears and the likes.
if anything, parental neglect should be blamed.
DarthPenguin
March 16, 2009 at 13:47
I can’t believe you just used the TT word… goshness…
V@mp
March 16, 2009 at 13:58
If they can show me anywhere in the game that
the protagonist is a german 17 year old
that shoots up kids in a school with his dad’s gun,
I’d say they have a valid argument.
RogueOne
March 16, 2009 at 13:59
Well I drowned and killed a duck. Its because I played with a rubber duck in the bath and my favourite thing to do was dunk it underwater in search of submarines.
Q121
March 16, 2009 at 14:02
Hell I hope you werent too rough with barbie as a child.
RogueOne
March 16, 2009 at 14:05
LMAO…and how do I give rep on this site :biggrin:
janrik
March 16, 2009 at 14:44
Agree that the parents should stand trail for raising a monster.
I’ve been gaming since age 5 and at 30 I have not once killed a person or animal (other that game I would then eat)…
Q121
March 16, 2009 at 14:52
Ah man I cant say the same 🙁 I have knocked over two doves at high speed and smacked a goat in the face with my fender while travelling through the Transkei 🙁
But mine were accidents 🙁 Still feel really bad about the goat, but it was him or a truck :cwy:
Fox1
March 16, 2009 at 15:04
I missed to meet in 2 bad accidents last Friday. Both the other drivers fault. I blamed Friday the 13 :cwy:
Bboy
March 16, 2009 at 15:43
I play some pretty violent games and I haven’t even hurt my xbox console yet… that’ll def be the first thing I open up a can o’ whip ass on…
Bboy
March 16, 2009 at 15:44
Seriously though, guns should not be available to the public, especially emo teens.
baba
March 16, 2009 at 15:50
I once smashed a Megadrive controller to pieces.
Luckily nobody was hurt. :angel:
Q121
March 16, 2009 at 15:51
Thats a good point, when will they start blaming things on emo’s, so that they can do the Germanly thing and…..
I better stop there 🙂
koldFU5iON
March 16, 2009 at 15:54
My Brother once beat me with a sega Controller… but that’s cause I was beating him so bad at NBA I couldn’t stop laughing … actually I didn’t stop laughing when he was beating me either… I didn’t press charges cause I wanted to beat him again
Q121
March 16, 2009 at 16:07
The only piece of hardware i have abused is a computer mouse…
And I have kicked a robot before, but that hurt me more than it got hurt.
Macethy
March 16, 2009 at 17:42
Yeah I busted a computer mouse once too,not very proud of it now :cwy: RIP little guy :cwy:
bl33k
March 16, 2009 at 19:31
parents should be held responsible for their childrens actions, for one. secondly, parents should teach their children reality from fiction and finally obey ESRB ratings; thats what they are there for.
blaming video games for kids mistakes, you might as well blame car manufacturers for creating cars.
ffs ppl should be held accountable for their actions, plain and simple!
V@mp
March 17, 2009 at 08:34
:devil:
WitWolfyZA
March 17, 2009 at 14:12
idiotic, thats why games are there to take your frustrations out on fictional polygon characters. I usauly chainsow them to pieces 😀