Videogame Manhunt blamed for teen killing

Lunchbox · Post by **Lunchbox** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 8:04 am

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/engl ... 936597.stm

Electrical store Dixons has stopped selling the computer game Manhunt.

The move comes after the parents of a schoolboy murdered by a friend blamed the violent game for their son's death.

Warren Leblanc, 17, of Braunstone Frith, Leicester, on Wednesday pleaded guilty to the murder of 14-year-old Stefan Pakeerah in February 2004.

Stefan's parent's claimed Leblanc had been obsessed by the game but the British Board of Film Classification has rejected any significant link.

We are taking it off the shelves with immediate effect
Dixons spokesperson
Leblanc had savagely beaten his victim with a claw hammer and stabbed him repeatedly after luring him to a local park.

Leicester Crown Court heard the defendant had planned to rob Stefan.

However, Stefan's mother, Giselle, claimed Leblanc had been obsessed by the game, which awards points for savage killings.

Immediately after the hearing she said: "I can't believe that this sort of material is allowed in a society where anarchy is not that far removed.

'No link'

"It should not be available and it should not be available to young people."

A spokeswoman for Dixons said: "We are taking it off the shelves with immediate effect."

Other stores have also been debating whether or not to stock the game.

A Virgin Megastores spokesperson said they advise customers on content.

"While we take a level of responsibility, ultimately, censorship decisions are up to the consumer."

WH Smith confirmed they stocked the game and were considering their position.

A spokesperson for the British Board of Film Classification said the game had been given an 18 certificate.

It was also the board's opinion that there was no issues of harm attached to the game and there was no evidence directly linking the playing of games with violent behaviour.

Bad parenting rears its ugly head yet again. If they didn't want their son exposed to the content in Manunt then they should have taken it away from their son or prevented him from buying it. And even then I don't think a game should be blamed for the murder. Pointing fingers to get the heat off your own bad parenting, eh?

AmadeusZull · Post by **AmadeusZull** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 11:51 am

well dixon had every right to take it off. they probably didn't know about the content behind the game.

if u owned a bookstore would u like to sell books on pro nazi-ism?

1 store, boo hoo.

Post by **melancholy** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 12:05 pm

And so it starts. It was only a matter of time until Manhunt was the focus of blame.

farrell2k · Post by **farrell2k** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 12:10 pm

AmadeusZull wrote:well dixon had every right to take it off. they probably didn't know about the content behind the game.

if u owned a bookstore would u like to sell books on pro nazi-ism?

If people bought the books, I'd sell as many as I could.

Lord_Ball · Post by **Lord_Ball** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 12:42 pm

How about blaming the manufacturer of the claw hammer that was used? After all it's just as at fault (maybe even more so) as Manhunt.

Jeeba Jabba · Post by **Jeeba Jabba** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 1:05 pm

Lord_Ball wrote:How about blaming the manufacturer of the claw hammer that was used? After all it's just as at fault (maybe even more so) as Manhunt.

Right on.

We should also ban footage of police car-chases... It seems drunk people are always trying to re-enact them!

Hawq · Post by **Hawq** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 1:16 pm

Actually the entire Dixons group, that is Dixons, Currys & PC World, have pulled it along with Game. Of course this is perfectly justified as people arent responsible in any way for their actions are they

ninja · Post by **ninja** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 3:38 pm

once again, this is another fine example of bad parenting. when will these self-righteous political / business arseholes learn that people are to blame, not the product they sell. Hell, as far as im concerned, if there gonna pull manhunt off there shelves, why not pull any other form of violence, which would leave, basically, nothing since when you think about it, any game could be considered to contain, promote, or make the player think of that crap. god, thats so much bullcrap.

Post by **|darc|** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 3:56 pm

AmadeusZull wrote:well dixon had every right to take it off. they probably didn't know about the content behind the game.

if u owned a bookstore would u like to sell books on pro nazi-ism?

1 store, boo hoo.

i don't see why not?

weeperofsouls · Post by **weeperofsouls** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 4:11 pm

blame the stupid parents.

besides, the game was intended for ADULTS. if a 14 year old kid plays it, its the fault of the parents for buying it for him in the first place.

az_bont · Post by **az_bont** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 5:41 pm

I was watching the ITV News last night, and this story came up. Both his parents basically kept repeating that it was bad and naughty and was completely at fault for their son's behaviour.

I noticed that there was no mention of how an under-age person was able to buy the game. I'm certain that if it had been wrongly sold to him by a storeclerk, it would have come up. My guess - they bought it for him, ignoring the 18 certificate. And now they hope to shift the blame.

Orange_Ribbon · Post by **Orange_Ribbon** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 6:02 pm

But it can't be the parrents. Surly it must be the evil game since games are ment for kids.

BlackAura · Post by **BlackAura** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 11:29 pm

The fact that a 17 year old can not buy the game in the first place is irrelevant, apparently. I don't recall anyone ever complaining about childeren watching 18-rated movies, so why should games be any different?

Post by **melancholy** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 11:33 pm

BlackAura wrote:The fact that a 17 year old can not buy the game in the first place is irrelevant, apparently.

Um, actually, a 17 year old can buy the game. The 'Mature' rating is 17 and up.

ESRB wrote:MATURE
Titles rated M - Mature have content that may be suitable for persons ages 17 and older. Titles in this category may contain mature sexual themes, more intense violence and/or strong language.

BlackAura · Post by **BlackAura** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 11:39 pm

Um, actually, a 17 year old can buy the game. The 'Mature' rating is 17 and up.

Not in the UK they can't. It has an 18 rating, which is a lot more relevant than the ESRB rating. For one, the ESRB rating is just a suggestion. An 18 rating means that it can not be sold to anyone under the age of 18. It's the same rating system that movies use in the UK.

A number of other games got the same rating, like Carmageddon, GTA...

Basically, he could not have legally purchased this game. If it was sold to him, then whoever sold it to him should be in trouble. The fact that the kid then went and killed someone is completely irrelevant. If the parents bought it for him, then they're idiots.

Jeeba Jabba · Post by **Jeeba Jabba** » Thu Jul 29, 2004 11:46 pm

BlackAura wrote: Not in the UK they can't. It has an 18 rating, which is a lot more relevant than the ESRB rating. For one, the ESRB rating is just a suggestion. An 18 rating means that it can not be sold to anyone under the age of 18. .

It's the same way here, only it isn't enforced everywhere. If you go somewhere like Wal-Mart or EB, they are very strict with that because the last thing they want is an angry parent on their hands.

FETUS · Post by **FETUS** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 12:30 am

looks like everything I would have said has already been said

weeperofsouls · Post by **weeperofsouls** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 12:33 am

the esrb is just as adhered then those warning explisit lyrics label on cds are. which is to say not at all.

Post by **melancholy** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 1:55 am

BlackAura wrote:
Um, actually, a 17 year old can buy the game. The 'Mature' rating is 17 and up.
Not in the UK they can't. It has an 18 rating, which is a lot more relevant than the ESRB rating. For one, the ESRB rating is just a suggestion. An 18 rating means that it can not be sold to anyone under the age of 18. It's the same rating system that movies use in the UK.

Right, UK, sorry, I forgot.

OneThirty8 · Post by **OneThirty8** » Fri Jul 30, 2004 2:19 am

BlackAura wrote:If the parents bought it for him, then they're idiots.

For buying him the game, or for not teaching him the difference between video games and real life? I believe that it's up to the parents to decide what their kids should be playing/watching/etc based upon how well their kids understand appropriate behavior from 'something you wouldn't ever want to think about doing in real life, but makes for a cool movie/game.' My parents backed off on censoring my entertainment decisions when I was pretty young, though, because they knew that I could watch a movie or play a game and understand that in real life I couldn't go around killing people. That's because I was raised by parents who actually took their role seriously. I remember when I was about 11 or 12 and my dad happened to listen to a bit of my Guns 'N Roses "Appetite for Destruction" tape and said, "Do I have to take this away from you?" I asked him if he ever heard me repeating that kind of language, and he dropped the issue.

AmadeusZull wrote:well dixon had every right to take it off. they probably didn't know about the content behind the game.

if u owned a bookstore would u like to sell books on pro nazi-ism?

1 store, boo hoo.

Certainly. How is one to defeat his enemy if he doesn't know his enemy? How is one to get to know his enemy if he doesn't listen to what the enemy has to say? Just because somebody reads something doesn't mean they agree with it.