In another instance of "What the hell else can we blame on Video Games?"...

[Modeps]

Five middle-school boys in Greensburg have been arrested, charged in a graffiti blitz they blame on a video game.

The boys range in age from 12 to 14 and are charged with institutional vandalism, criminal conspiracy, criminal mischief and desecration of venerated objects.

Police in the western Pennsylvania town said the youngsters have admitted spray-painting the initials "GKU" on more than a dozen buildings, including a synagogue, an art museum and a Christian thrift store. The initials supposedly stand for "gang kids united."

Police said the boys claim they were inspired by the video game "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas."t

 

[maziwanka]

to tell you the truth, children these days probably get a lot of ideas from video games....

its up to the parents to make sure their children realize what constitutes appropriate/inappropriate behavior

 

[Albis]

just because it happens in a game doesn't mean children should do it in real life

kids need to learn the difference between video games and real life

i mean look at racing games. they drive really fast and crash but do ppl do it in real life and blame it on gran turismo?

 

[Mareg]

Couldn't they blame that on a movie for change. Ah, a certain Senator will be charmed.

 

[Red]

Studies show that kids are more likely to engage in violent behavior after playing video games than those who do not. Most kids, like me for example, are able to separate the real world, but some kids do not. And those are the ones who are really affected by video games, unfortunately.

 

[nakedfrog]

Yeah, I'm sure they'd never heard of graffiti or tagging before GTA :roll:

 

[Qwest]

anyone remember jet set radio future?

it came with my xbox, majority of the game was spraypainting walls to go against the authority.

 

[Gothgar]

Stop being a pussy, beat your kids.

 

[Modeps]

Originally posted by: maziwanka
to tell you the truth, children these days probably get a lot of ideas from video games....

its up to the parents to make sure their children realize what constitutes appropriate/inappropriate behavior

I'm waiting for the day that DCF comes along and removes these kids from their parents' home.

 

[jjones]

Originally posted by: Gothgar
Stop being a pussy, beat your kids.

:beer:

 

[Phoenix86]

Where were the parents for this!?! That game is not rated for their age...

 

[brian_riendeau]

What the hell? These games are for mature players, if the kids play them, it is the parent's fault.

 

[Mellman]

yeah definetly agree, there are about 5 or 6 kids rampant in my neighborhood, If i were older and they were my kids, they'd be in deep shite! Parents need to accept the responsibility of being a parent....and not just have kids because they don't like using a condom.

 

[EyeMWing]

Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

They obviously didn't get too far at all if tagging is all they got out of San Andreas. That's such a minor, insignificant part of the game it isn't funny.

 

[blurredvision]

I was playing GTA one day and some gang members shot out the tire on my car. I thought it was awesome!! So I went and got my dad's gun he hides under the mattress and went outside and shot the tires on my car, then drove it around wildly down the road. It was awesome!! Just like in the game!!!! It wouldn't drive worth sh!t, just like in the game!! Then I plowed into another car, and everyone got hurt. But it's ok because that's how you do it in the game!!

 

[Lumathix]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog
Yeah, I'm sure they'd never heard of graffiti or tagging before GTA :roll:

 

[Fenixgoon]

Originally posted by: Gothgar
Stop being a pussy, beat your kids.

bwahhahahahahahah sooo true. people need to smackdown their kids. I know I had a few spankings when I was little.

 

[iotone]

Originally posted by: Gothgar
Stop being a pussy, beat your kids.

haha i got quite the ass-whoopin' myself when i was young...

ah the memories haha

 

[Fritzo]

The same thing happened to me growing up watching cartoons. I can't tell you how many times I got in trouble for hitting someone with an anvil.

 

[mobobuff]

Originally posted by: Fritzo
The same thing happened to me growing up watching cartoons. I can't tell you how many times I got in trouble for hitting someone with an anvil.

My frequent jumps off of mile high canyons probably didn't help my childhood out either

 

[SchrodingersDog]

I for one welcome our new Gang Kids United overlords.

 

[chowderhead]

I am for personal responsibility and parental responsibility for their children. However, I am also for corporate responsibility. Right now you have a commercial of Tony Hawk Underground 2. Tony Hawk (not in the video game but in person) is shown in the commerical slashing car tires. I recall Bam tagging a wall.
This commercial and Activision should not have shown actual people defacing actual property and damaging car tires to promote their video games

 

[FleshLight]

Originally posted by: chowderhead
I am for personal responsibility and parental responsibility for their children. However, I am also for corporate responsibility. Right now you have a commerical of Tony Hawk Underground 2. Tony Hawk (not in the video game but in person) is shown in the commerical slashing car tires. I recall Bam tagging a wall.
This commerical and Activision should not have shown actual people defacing actual property and damaging car tires to promote their video games.

I agree! Same goes with movies. They should not show Aragorn wielding a dangerous sword or Legolas wielding a dangerous bow in the movie trailers to promote not just one, but all THREE of their movies. I boycott everything New Line anyways..

 

[Weeeman]

Originally posted by: Fritzo
The same thing happened to me growing up watching cartoons. I can't tell you how many times I got in trouble for hitting someone with an anvil.

:laugh:

 

[chowderhead]

Originally posted by: FleshLight

Originally posted by: chowderhead
I am for personal responsibility and parental responsibility for their children. However, I am also for corporate responsibility. Right now you have a commerical of Tony Hawk Underground 2. Tony Hawk (not in the video game but in person) is shown in the commerical slashing car tires. I recall Bam tagging a wall.
This commerical and Activision should not have shown actual people defacing actual property and damaging car tires to promote their video games.

I agree! Same goes with movies. They should not show Aragorn wielding a dangerous sword or Legolas wielding a dangerous bow in the movie trailers to promote not just one, but all THREE of their movies. I boycott everything New Line anyways..

It is about context. Tony Hawk is a role model to kids. When we have a problem with kids dressing up like elves, orcs or whatever and attacking each other with bows and long swords and thinking it's cool, then we can talk about LOTR.