SickBoy said:
I disagree.
First, I don't think the article is blaming consoles and videogames for the murder. The minor items that were stolen are what make the case stand out. I think the perception that the article is somehow a broadside at the videogame industry has more to do with videogamers' sensitivity to the idea of linking games and violence.
Second, I wonder what people want from the media -- in-depth interviews and psychoanalysis of the suspects? Don't blame the media for taking an interesting angle -- blame the commentators who later use it as an example of the violence that videogames instill in players.
If it was a ball of yarn and some knitting needles that were stolen, I think that would be the hook. The story is that these guys killed and then stole something relatively insignificant (like the Florida murders) -- it speaks to their disregard of human life... not the corrupting power of videogames.
-SB
That's true, i didn't mean that; obviously this article is not relating violence to videogames or consoles (hinting maybe) that wasn't my point.
My point of view is not that different from yours; while this article doesn't tie violence in videogames to murder it does say in big letters "killing for an xbox" (with no mention of the gold chain, at least in the title) which will give (i used gAve referring to the times this happened in the past) other media and commentators an opportunity to make examples of the violence in gamers.
Of course you can't really blame this article for doing this, since this is a very common technique among the journalists; whenever something insignificant is stolen after a murder, they always choose to make it look like the possession of that small item was always the reason for killing.
This surely picks the attention of the readers, and has the readers talk and discuss about it more. But i'd much rather read something closer to the truth, since in this particular case there's nothing suggesting that things happened in this order.
I'd much rather read "they killed him during a fight (or something). When about to leave the house they also stole a few small items" since this is probablly closer to the truth.
