N-Philes :: Forums - Manhunt taken off shelves in UK...linked to murder

07-29-2004, 10:42 AM

Red Yoshi

What about us?

Join Date: Jun 2003

Location: England, UK

Posts: 2,849 Red Yoshi pretends there is no front page

Manhunt taken off shelves in UK...linked to murder

Quote:

Britain's biggest electronics chain, Dixons, pulled violent video game Manhunt from its shops yesterday after parents of a teenage murder victim blamed the game for their son's death.

The game, in which the player takes on the role of a convicted murderer ordered by a demented film director to kill people in as gruesome a fashion as possible, has stirred controversy even among fans of violent videos.

It awards extra points to players for carrying out murders in a particularly extreme and bloody way, while victims plead to be spared on behalf of their wives and children.

The parents of Stefan Pakeerah, 14, called this week for Manhunt to be banned after a 17-year-old admitted inviting their son into a park and murdering him.

Warren Le Blanc, a fan of the game, admitted he beat the younger teen to death with a claw hammer and stabbed him repeatedly with a knife. He could face life in prison.

"I didn't intend to kill him at first, but when I saw the blood I just let go and hit more times," he told police.
Advertisement Advertisement

Stefan's father Patrick, 41, said: "Stefan's murder compares to how the game is set out, using weapons like hammers and knives. If games like this influence kids, they should be taken off the shelves."

The game is published by Rockstar Games, a division of New York's Take-Two Interactive Software known for its line-up of violent games including the hugely popular Grand Theft Auto series, in which players run wild in high-speed crime sprees.

No comment from the company was available.

A spokeswoman for Dixons said it was taking the game off the shelves of all 1000 stores in the group with immediate effect due to the uproar.

The game has an "18" rating from Britain's film board, which means it should not be sold to minors.

In a generally favourable review on the website totalvideogames.com, the reviewer wrote: "it has to be the most violent yet realistic videogame we've played" and described its "ability to unhinge the player and make you feel disturbed".

Another website, Game Zone Online, gave it an 8 out of 10 score for "solid gameplay" but wrote: "Kids under 17 should not be allowed anywhere around this game, and it contains some of the most disgusting killings that I have seen either in movies or in a game."

From http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004...l?oneclick=true

This is all over the UK papers today...I picked up the Mirror a few minutes ago and it's plastered on the front page. I know the mother must be heart broken and all, but her son should not have been playing a game for 18 year olds, nor should the other boy have been. Dixons is huge so I can see some other retailers following suit and taking the game off shelves.

Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if this game now actually made decent sales. It didn't do too well over here in the UK.

07-29-2004, 12:28 PM	#2
sonicblue Thundercougarfalconbird Join Date: May 2002 Location: South Florida Posts: 20,156	Why don't they take some initiative and ban violence instead of videogames? You gotta nip these things in the butt. __________________

07-29-2004, 03:49 PM	#3
CJ Thunder Free Government Money! Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: SoCal Posts: 9,946	No, they should ban the books that say **** because this is where the volience cmes from. Books. I learned to shoot, read, fight...date? HAHA this game is fine, people are **ing morons. __________________ "A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools". - Douglas Adams -

07-29-2004, 04:07 PM	#4
Lord D'arc Magikoopa Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Frankfurt, Germany Posts: 843	I mean the game is sick by all means. But this boy must have been nuts from the begining. __________________ My Video Game collection - To be continued

07-29-2004, 04:12 PM	#5
Calcifer FryGuy Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: michigan Posts: 944	this is ****e. i hate when people blame media for violence. parents should be more interested in their children's affairs. a normal person would not kill someone just because they saw it in a movie or a game. __________________ Strange days indeed.

07-29-2004, 06:20 PM	#6
DayLahs Will Never Be Another Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Miami, Florida Posts: 46,179	all I can say is I'm glad I dont live in the UK. I can stay here and play my manhunt. __________________

07-29-2004, 07:10 PM

kajiaisu

Overkill/Undercover

Join Date: Sep 2003

Location: Well I love in a house in the Northeast U.S., playing my Nintendo DS.

Posts: 6,969 kajiaisu is starting to annoy people

I still need to check out this game...I want to see if it is THAT bad.

__________________

Quote:

Can I come over your house? We can play Doom.-*lil Link*

07-29-2004, 08:13 PM	#8
Ragnar Danneskjöld Selfish Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Houston Posts: 17,948	"I didn't intend to kill him at first, but when I saw the blood I just let go and hit more times," he told police. I Would shoot him dead on the spot.

07-29-2004, 10:00 PM	#9
CJ Thunder Free Government Money! Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: SoCal Posts: 9,946	Actaully thats what a lot of people do, they get trigger happy, cought up in the mood, but the fact that he can't control himself after the 'defense' is a problem. __________________ "A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools". - Douglas Adams -

07-29-2004, 11:43 PM	#10
Chimera Steel Lord on Wheels Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Erie/Clarion Posts: 1,338	Good. I think Manhunt sucks ass anyway. Wow, it's gorey..that's all this game has going for it, and that's pretty tired. I'm not glad the kid died, but that game is **ed up just for the sake of being **ed up as it's main selling point and that is just disgusting in of itself. __________________

07-29-2004, 11:46 PM	#11
Imp Guest Posts: n/a	Wait, did he ever even play Manhunt, because it looks like the father just blamed it because people die from knives and hammers.

07-30-2004, 02:01 AM	#12
Phlogistic Everyone! Get along! Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 2,512	It was a minor who comitted the murder. He should not have been playing it, thus, the only ones responsible are the ones who let the game into his hands, if he had played it that is. That's making the ridiculous assumption that he was actually influenced by the game, of course. __________________

07-30-2004, 06:18 AM	#13
~~Ninja Sole~~ E Street Banned Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 17	The kid was obviously mentally sick to begin with. a normal person doesnt go kills someone because they see it in a video game. you might as well exterminate people with a mental handicap then

07-30-2004, 12:09 PM

#14

octorok and roll

has a very loud thumb

Join Date: Oct 2002

Location: Austin, Texas

Posts: 19,384 octorok and roll has a pleasant aroma

Quote:

Originally posted by sonicblue
Why don't they take some initiative and ban violence instead of videogames? You gotta nip these things in the butt.

It's "nip it in the bud."

__________________
Quote of the Month:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dragon164z

Someday you're going to have to break it to those girls that she's only friends with them to insure that she will always be the cutest girl in the picture.

07-30-2004, 12:21 PM	#15
MetroidHunter Lakitu Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 8,614	Oh come on! The murderer was 17 do you really think if he had one more year on his life it would have made a difference? That is the stupidest thing I've heard. "He was too young he shouldn't have played it." Oh coming from all of you I am sure have played Grand Theft Auto. And who knows maybe he turned 18 in 3 months, do you think it would have mattered then? Of course the game influenced him, the game makes killing fun. __________________

07-30-2004, 01:13 PM

#16

sonicblue

Thundercougarfalconbird

Join Date: May 2002

Location: South Florida

Posts: 20,156 sonicblue might want to think about buying stock in N-Philes

Quote:

Originally posted by octorok and roll
It's "nip it in the bud."

Fantastic. Now what am I suppose to do with all of these nipped butts?

__________________

07-30-2004, 02:18 PM

#17

octorok and roll

has a very loud thumb

Join Date: Oct 2002

Location: Austin, Texas

Posts: 19,384 octorok and roll has a pleasant aroma

Quote:

Originally posted by MetroidHunter
Oh come on! The murderer was 17 do you really think if he had one more year on his life it would have made a difference? That is the stupidest thing I've heard. "He was too young he shouldn't have played it." Oh coming from all of you I am sure have played Grand Theft Auto. And who knows maybe he turned 18 in 3 months, do you think it would have mattered then? Of course the game influenced him, the game makes killing fun.

There is no evidence that the 17 year old even played the game.

__________________
Quote of the Month:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dragon164z

Someday you're going to have to break it to those girls that she's only friends with them to insure that she will always be the cutest girl in the picture.

07-30-2004, 02:26 PM

#18

MetroidHunter

Lakitu

Join Date: Mar 2003

Posts: 8,614 MetroidHunter promises to call in the morning

Quote:

Warren Le Blanc, a fan of the game, admitted he beat the younger teen to death with a claw hammer and stabbed him repeatedly with a knife. He could face life in prison.

__________________

07-30-2004, 05:27 PM

#19

Phlogistic

Everyone! Get along!

Join Date: Jun 2004

Location: Massachusetts

Posts: 2,512 Phlogistic pretends there is no front page

Quote:

Yes, it makes a huge difference. A legal difference, and legal is what we're talking about here. Someone who is a day short of 18 and an 18 year-old are practically years apart in terms of legal responsibility.

__________________

07-30-2004, 05:45 PM

#20

Calcifer

FryGuy

Join Date: Jun 2004

Location: michigan

Posts: 944 Calcifer pretends to be cool to get cookies

Quote:

no one knows if the game influenced him. the only way someone would be able to know is if they would have seen him in the same situation if he had not played manhunt. so no one know i fit influenced him or not, you can't just make assumptions like that.

__________________
Strange days indeed.