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...but not before Washington branches of Best Buy pulled some computer games off the shelves. I can't say I'm suprised, because unfortunately the first reaction from everyone on the boards was: "oh no, they'll blame videogames"...but they haven't, have they? No media circus, in fact, Silent Scope 3 was recently released in the US. It looks to have just been two people, acting without the aid of a larger organization such as Al-Quiada (I spelt that wrong)...and nothing to do with watching violent movies or playing violent games.
But the more I think about it - why DIDN'T the media blame games? I think the answer is because most journalists for the big papers aren't big gamers. Thing is, first time you load up a multiplayer map, you search for the Sniper Rifle. Remember the first level on GoldenEye? The first gun you pick up in TimeSplitters 2, and promptly use to blast open the skulls of hapless Russian guards? A sniper rifle. Why do we all use the teleporter in Halo's Blood Gulch to get behind that rock to the far side of the enemy base? It's a perfect spot to snipe from.
When I last played GTA3, I didn't attempt a mission. I drove to the top of the parking lot on Staunton, and played God. Gore code enabled, I smiled as I blasted old ladies in the chest, cackled as blood spurted from the neck of a newly decapitated youth. I liked it...nay, I loved it. Take a packed lunch, I'd be up there all day. Does this make me a bad person? A sad, twisted little man? Someone that enjoys looking through the crosshairs and ending the life of whomever I choose with a click of a button?
I don't think so. See, I know where the line is between fantasy and reality. For instance, I fantasize about Jennifer Aniston, but in reality I pursue Courtney Cox (because Aniston is married). See? Wholly rational thinking. I would never dream of re-enacting my Chatterbox-induced one man crimewaves in the mean streets of North London - when I blast a Yakuza henchman in the head with an Uzi in a drive by, it's just a piece of code but in America, people have been killed for no tangible reason. Just for fun...or, perhaps, to spite the country they happen to reside in.
I'm sure many people on this board join me in saying their favourite weapon in games is the sniper rifle. Be it the wavy patterns from Halo, the lovely scope from The Thing, the whopping great cabinet from the aforemention Silent Scope or the *click* of the bullet flying through the air and piercing flesh. Are we monsters? No. We don't go around killing people...at least, not to the best of my knowledge.
Anyways, another mass murdered gets ahead of themselves, drops a hint and gets caught. Are games to blame? Certainly not. Although, sick as it is, I can understand the attraction. I'm not advocating the act of sniping innocent people, but the whole image of being a cool, sharp dressed, sunglasses-wearing member of the special forces looking through his infra red sight, aiming for the temple of another criminal mastermind hell-bent on world domination.
Washington can sleep easy tonight. Some might even dig out GTA3 again.
Thanks for reading.
-El Blokey
But the more I think about it - why DIDN'T the media blame games? I think the answer is because most journalists for the big papers aren't big gamers. Thing is, first time you load up a multiplayer map, you search for the Sniper Rifle. Remember the first level on GoldenEye? The first gun you pick up in TimeSplitters 2, and promptly use to blast open the skulls of hapless Russian guards? A sniper rifle. Why do we all use the teleporter in Halo's Blood Gulch to get behind that rock to the far side of the enemy base? It's a perfect spot to snipe from.
When I last played GTA3, I didn't attempt a mission. I drove to the top of the parking lot on Staunton, and played God. Gore code enabled, I smiled as I blasted old ladies in the chest, cackled as blood spurted from the neck of a newly decapitated youth. I liked it...nay, I loved it. Take a packed lunch, I'd be up there all day. Does this make me a bad person? A sad, twisted little man? Someone that enjoys looking through the crosshairs and ending the life of whomever I choose with a click of a button?
I don't think so. See, I know where the line is between fantasy and reality. For instance, I fantasize about Jennifer Aniston, but in reality I pursue Courtney Cox (because Aniston is married). See? Wholly rational thinking. I would never dream of re-enacting my Chatterbox-induced one man crimewaves in the mean streets of North London - when I blast a Yakuza henchman in the head with an Uzi in a drive by, it's just a piece of code but in America, people have been killed for no tangible reason. Just for fun...or, perhaps, to spite the country they happen to reside in.
I'm sure many people on this board join me in saying their favourite weapon in games is the sniper rifle. Be it the wavy patterns from Halo, the lovely scope from The Thing, the whopping great cabinet from the aforemention Silent Scope or the *click* of the bullet flying through the air and piercing flesh. Are we monsters? No. We don't go around killing people...at least, not to the best of my knowledge.
Anyways, another mass murdered gets ahead of themselves, drops a hint and gets caught. Are games to blame? Certainly not. Although, sick as it is, I can understand the attraction. I'm not advocating the act of sniping innocent people, but the whole image of being a cool, sharp dressed, sunglasses-wearing member of the special forces looking through his infra red sight, aiming for the temple of another criminal mastermind hell-bent on world domination.
Washington can sleep easy tonight. Some might even dig out GTA3 again.
Thanks for reading.
-El Blokey
I don't really care whether or not they've got the wrong guy. I think they should burn him! Burn Him! BURN HIM!!!!!! *hysterical laughter*. BURN THE MURDERER!
*collapses*
Oh dear, I am sorry about my alter ego. I try to control him but... HE'S TOO STRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!! HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh dear I am sorry...
*collapses*
Oh dear, I am sorry about my alter ego. I try to control him but... HE'S TOO STRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!! HA HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh dear I am sorry...
I thought about ringing the police about sniper the notable as i thought it would be rather humerous.
Good stuff, as ever, El blokey!
I'm fairly surprised that the media didn't involve gaming with this incident, because it's the sort of thing you'd really expect to happen, isn't it. They would blame games you mentioned, such as GTA3, Silent Scope and various other games like that, just because that's what the media do - try and involve things that really don't need to be involved at all.
I'm also quite happy for the people of Washington, as now they can finally sleep peacfully... or can they? It'd really just be crapped up if the sniper struck again, and proved that the police have caught the wrong man once again.
I'm fairly surprised that the media didn't involve gaming with this incident, because it's the sort of thing you'd really expect to happen, isn't it. They would blame games you mentioned, such as GTA3, Silent Scope and various other games like that, just because that's what the media do - try and involve things that really don't need to be involved at all.
I'm also quite happy for the people of Washington, as now they can finally sleep peacfully... or can they? It'd really just be crapped up if the sniper struck again, and proved that the police have caught the wrong man once again.
i know everything when them sniper was caght and vhen i vil be caught argh you vil neser diescover me
Bring back capital punishment.
...but not before Washington branches of Best Buy pulled some computer games off the shelves. I can't say I'm suprised, because unfortunately the first reaction from everyone on the boards was: "oh no, they'll blame videogames"...but they haven't, have they? No media circus, in fact, Silent Scope 3 was recently released in the US. It looks to have just been two people, acting without the aid of a larger organization such as Al-Quiada (I spelt that wrong)...and nothing to do with watching violent movies or playing violent games.
But the more I think about it - why DIDN'T the media blame games? I think the answer is because most journalists for the big papers aren't big gamers. Thing is, first time you load up a multiplayer map, you search for the Sniper Rifle. Remember the first level on GoldenEye? The first gun you pick up in TimeSplitters 2, and promptly use to blast open the skulls of hapless Russian guards? A sniper rifle. Why do we all use the teleporter in Halo's Blood Gulch to get behind that rock to the far side of the enemy base? It's a perfect spot to snipe from.
When I last played GTA3, I didn't attempt a mission. I drove to the top of the parking lot on Staunton, and played God. Gore code enabled, I smiled as I blasted old ladies in the chest, cackled as blood spurted from the neck of a newly decapitated youth. I liked it...nay, I loved it. Take a packed lunch, I'd be up there all day. Does this make me a bad person? A sad, twisted little man? Someone that enjoys looking through the crosshairs and ending the life of whomever I choose with a click of a button?
I don't think so. See, I know where the line is between fantasy and reality. For instance, I fantasize about Jennifer Aniston, but in reality I pursue Courtney Cox (because Aniston is married). See? Wholly rational thinking. I would never dream of re-enacting my Chatterbox-induced one man crimewaves in the mean streets of North London - when I blast a Yakuza henchman in the head with an Uzi in a drive by, it's just a piece of code but in America, people have been killed for no tangible reason. Just for fun...or, perhaps, to spite the country they happen to reside in.
I'm sure many people on this board join me in saying their favourite weapon in games is the sniper rifle. Be it the wavy patterns from Halo, the lovely scope from The Thing, the whopping great cabinet from the aforemention Silent Scope or the *click* of the bullet flying through the air and piercing flesh. Are we monsters? No. We don't go around killing people...at least, not to the best of my knowledge.
Anyways, another mass murdered gets ahead of themselves, drops a hint and gets caught. Are games to blame? Certainly not. Although, sick as it is, I can understand the attraction. I'm not advocating the act of sniping innocent people, but the whole image of being a cool, sharp dressed, sunglasses-wearing member of the special forces looking through his infra red sight, aiming for the temple of another criminal mastermind hell-bent on world domination.
Washington can sleep easy tonight. Some might even dig out GTA3 again.
Thanks for reading.
-El Blokey
But the more I think about it - why DIDN'T the media blame games? I think the answer is because most journalists for the big papers aren't big gamers. Thing is, first time you load up a multiplayer map, you search for the Sniper Rifle. Remember the first level on GoldenEye? The first gun you pick up in TimeSplitters 2, and promptly use to blast open the skulls of hapless Russian guards? A sniper rifle. Why do we all use the teleporter in Halo's Blood Gulch to get behind that rock to the far side of the enemy base? It's a perfect spot to snipe from.
When I last played GTA3, I didn't attempt a mission. I drove to the top of the parking lot on Staunton, and played God. Gore code enabled, I smiled as I blasted old ladies in the chest, cackled as blood spurted from the neck of a newly decapitated youth. I liked it...nay, I loved it. Take a packed lunch, I'd be up there all day. Does this make me a bad person? A sad, twisted little man? Someone that enjoys looking through the crosshairs and ending the life of whomever I choose with a click of a button?
I don't think so. See, I know where the line is between fantasy and reality. For instance, I fantasize about Jennifer Aniston, but in reality I pursue Courtney Cox (because Aniston is married). See? Wholly rational thinking. I would never dream of re-enacting my Chatterbox-induced one man crimewaves in the mean streets of North London - when I blast a Yakuza henchman in the head with an Uzi in a drive by, it's just a piece of code but in America, people have been killed for no tangible reason. Just for fun...or, perhaps, to spite the country they happen to reside in.
I'm sure many people on this board join me in saying their favourite weapon in games is the sniper rifle. Be it the wavy patterns from Halo, the lovely scope from The Thing, the whopping great cabinet from the aforemention Silent Scope or the *click* of the bullet flying through the air and piercing flesh. Are we monsters? No. We don't go around killing people...at least, not to the best of my knowledge.
Anyways, another mass murdered gets ahead of themselves, drops a hint and gets caught. Are games to blame? Certainly not. Although, sick as it is, I can understand the attraction. I'm not advocating the act of sniping innocent people, but the whole image of being a cool, sharp dressed, sunglasses-wearing member of the special forces looking through his infra red sight, aiming for the temple of another criminal mastermind hell-bent on world domination.
Washington can sleep easy tonight. Some might even dig out GTA3 again.
Thanks for reading.
-El Blokey