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My honest and deepest condolences to anybody affected or involved.

Two on the same day, one in the USA, another in Germany.
Both horrible, stupid and probably bad for the discussion about Video Games.

You need to know that Video Game violence is viewed very differently in different countries. While the super-prude American culture prohibits any sexual content but has a high tolerance for violence, it's reverse in Germany. And while there is no connection between violent video games or movies and amok runners (you don't become by playing or watching, that's logical and proven) , tabloids do their own amok runs when one happens, influencing the public oppinion with the usual crap.

Think "Se-Xbox" (just check that on google along with Mass Effect ) only with violence.

As a German, I can only say DAMN. Censorship was on the best way of dying out in the recent years (the publishers censor their own games to get a lower rating or don't even sell it at all to maximize profit, nothing is basically wrong with our rating system) and now something like that happens and all the usual suspects jump on it like a swarm of angry bees


By the way, if anbody starts joking about this, I will personally set the moderators on you

I get the feeling something terrible has happened, and that video games are going to get the blame unjustly.

Yet I don't know what happened. : |
What happened?

Two Amok runs. (did you read the post?)

16 dead in Germany, pupils, pedestrians, ... by a 17 year old school-dropout.
At least 10 in Alabama, USA. A man just shot anything in range. Even relatives.

EDIT: Checked. The word doesn't exist in English. CRAP. I was sure it did.
I am talking about the killing sprees in Germany and USA.

Er...

What's an Amok run?

And yikes, right, one of them things again...
There's something going wrong in this world and I don't know what it is... o_-

Indeed, hope this doesn't cause too much trouble for the game industry.

The main problem with videogames being played is the usual human emotion of fear. Specifically, fear of the unknown. In other words, no-one seems to actually understand videogames even though they are a major part of the media now.

So we're stuck with people being frightened of videogames despite the obvious facts that a hell of alot of people play videogames and that most of them are not insane killers.

Never heard of the phrase "Amok run" but I get the point. Damn. This is why england has no guns. (It probably helps that we're an island and smuggling is harder on an island.)

Long live any country with no guns.
...wait...

well there is the phrase: to run amok or running amok in English but never did hear of amok runs, I think the Alabama guy killed eleven counting himself. and 4 dogs he shot too. couldn't find anything on how many got injured but I know there's at least one police officer with shrapnel in his shoulders. the germany thing is worse.

Murders are amoung us. Killers are amoung us.
Its a Tradgic loss when anybody dies.

Do I think Vidio games have something to do with a connecton between phycos and 'AMOK RUNNERS'?
Not unless they Run around Screaming BOOM-HEADSHOT
I think Computer games can decensortize us from some things, and some mentaly unhealthy people can do some very bad things due to doing similar things in computer games. I dont belive that Computer games make killers though, but for some people it may cause them to loose grip with reality and commit acts that may not be veiwed in scociaty as good.

Computer games could be a Trigger, but I dont belive it to be a Mass producer of violent killers.
People will kill regardless and always for a reason.

The thing I hate about the media and blaming video games for everything bad is how hippocritical it is. For example, with the mass effect sexbox thing, I can completely remember how much I laughed when I first read the article on mass effect and the effect it has on children. You know the whole "easy to get sex simulater" bullshit. But I looked right underneath it and saw "Fox Sexpert: 10 Things you Never knew about sex!" RIGHT. UNDERNEATH IT. I think that article was much more informative for my teenage mind then a silly videogame sex scene. A lot easier to get to as well, but according to their logic it's much easier to go spend 50$ on a video game after getting my parents to buy it for me due to the M rated title, play a very long way through it, and then enjoy the "sex simulator". Clicking a link is much harder, stupid FOX news...

Anyway as for the violence aspect of it, the media loves blowing things out of proportion and they decided that videogames were a great way to get attention for themselves. They are attempting to destroy another industry by saying how violent it can make people. In my opinion videogames are much better at the opposite. Say you had a terrible day and are about to do something horrible, but then you see your copy of Halo and decide to take out your rage on some cocky 11 year olds, or pull out GTA and show some hookers your madness with a quick virtual killing spree. That may have just prevented a crime right there. Meanwhile the news makes people paranoid, thinking that the world is going crazy or going to end, promoting violence and looting and such. So in the end, media bad, Sexbox good.
Okay rant over now.

Glabbit wrote:And yikes, right, one of them things again...
There's something going wrong in this world and I don't know what it is... o_-

The human race has always had its flaws. We've come a long way from travesties like the Crusades. Still, war never changes.

but war, war never changes xD FO3 quote right there. we've still got holy wars, a crusade is the same as a jihad.

I'm not saying that either is worse or better though both are pretty bad. I'm just saying it's the exact same concept to justify the stupidity and yeah I just thought it would be funny to consider it a fall out 3 quote because so much of the discussion was centered around video games. hahaha

I believe he meant "running amuck".

Reminds me of something someone somewhere said. Paraphrased- "I'd love to see someone go on some kind of crime spree and then say they did it because they saw it on the news."