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R. Kelly hopes to bump tainted jurors as trial grinds
There seems to be a holdup for the jury selection in the R. Kelly child pornography trial.
In light of a recent Chicago Sun-Times article surrounding the case, the attorneys and judge involved feel it’s unlikely to find unbiased jurors who can deliver a fair verdict. After the article was released, the defense is hoping for yet another delay in jury selection. -
Madonna skips home state on world tour
Madonna has come back on the music scene this summer in a big way.
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Upcoming release of 'Grand Theft Auto 4' criticized for killing
According to the hype of some members of the media, the world will be ending in less than a week.
If you believe them, the cause of Western civilization’s death will be a little game called Grand Theft Auto 4.
Scheduled for release on April 29, GTA4 will return players to Liberty City and embroil them in a world of crime. The game is notorious, and anti-gaming advocates such as lawyer Jack Thompson have blamed it for many killings, with Thompson going as far as labeling it a “murder simulator.”
Of course, those who play the game know the hysteria is grossly misrepresenting the game. Yes, you can and probably will kill people in the game.
But the truth of the game is you can play it without committing violence. The beauty of the GTA series is it’s what’s known as a sandbox game — a game where you can do almost anything. You might get money for killing a person, but you also can earn money catching criminals or driving a taxi.
Some of my greatest enjoyment in GTA3 was found driving around and listening to the insanity of the people on the game’s talk radio station.
It’s perfectly alright to hate the game. I’m just asking for the people who criticize the game to truly understand what it is they’re criticizing.
Comments
Matt
04/24/08 @ 12:03am
“I’m just asking for the people who criticize the game to truly understand what it is they’re criticizing.”
Actually, I DO think Thompson and the rest they have a pretty good sense of what the game is about… Yes, you might have the freedom to do vigilante missions or play fireman, but the only way to advance through the game’s story is through killing, theft, or other forms of crime.
It’s a bit like claiming that cigarettes are less harmful if the smoker chooses not to inhale, knowing full well how rare that is. I mean, who gets excited about a new GTA game for the taxi-driving missions?
Now for the record, I don’t agree at all with Thompson or the shock/horror crowd; I think they’re overreacting to a very stylized, satirical game. But I’m not sure that your argument is the most effective response…
Jeff
04/24/08 @ 12:58am
People such as Jack Thompson use GTA4 as a catalyst to explain things such as murders and the use of drugs/alcohol at such an early teenage age now. It’s any ““easy explanation”“ for a very complicated evolution (change) in todays society. Why not blame movies such as the SAW series or movies like American Gangster?
GET A LIFE
04/24/08 @ 1:28am
“Some of my greatest enjoyment in GTA3 was found driving around and listening to the insanity of the people on the game’s talk radio station.”
You must have a sad pathetic existence…
Chris
04/24/08 @ 12:58pm
And yet, “GET A LIFE”, you’re posting comments on the statenews website at 1:30 in the morning. Pot, meet kettle.
brent
04/24/08 @ 1:42pm
Well said Chris.
_k
04/24/08 @ 3:07pm
watch the discovery channel’s documentary “the rise of the video game”. it puts the general video game debate into perspective.
huge uproar over a game like GTA4, but very little to be said about the US army’s underage indoctrination game “america’s army”.
carlos
04/24/08 @ 10:03pm
Thereaists use GTA games to let their patients relive their anger in killing animated humans. I’m getting the game because it’s fun, simple as that.
jayley
04/25/08 @ 3:41am
I play racing games all day, and yet i dont have the urge to run people down and kill them…..... thats like saying people went around eating people when pac man was big
Joe
04/25/08 @ 9:55am
The GTA series has alot of violence yes but, how many other games show violence. Parents know that this game is violent. Parents need to start taking responsibility. If you do not want your kids to play these types of games then DO NOT LET THEM simple as that. America is based upon the simple principles of FREEDOM and MAJORITY. Slow this country is becoming less free and more about the minority. God forbid that one person does not like or agree with a game. There will always be somebody who does not like something. If you do not like simply do not play it and do not let your kids play it. I have played every GTA game and other violent games and I do not have the urge to go and kill rob or hurt anybody. If your kids do take them to a therapist and get them some help. 70% of games and movies have some sort of violence in them therefore you cannot limit the cause of violence in the world to a few games. I am sorry to inform parents but you cannot shelter your kids for ever. I wonder how many people that fight GTA and other violent games are WHITE and how many are of other races? WHITE PEOPLE NEED TO BEAT YOUR KIDS OBVIOUSLY TIME OUTS AND TAKING AWAY TV AND GAMES DO NOT WORK. EVERYONE BEAT THEIR KIDS BEFORE OUR GENERATION AND CRIME WAS LOWER THEN SO WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU? BEAT YOUR KIDS. When i say beat your kids i do not mean beat the crap out of them i simply mean spank them bring out the belt. After a few times i will bet that they will know not to act up.
Charlie
04/25/08 @ 2:48pm
People will always find something to complain about, right now its video games who knows what it will be in the future. But when rock and roll first came out everyone blamed that for the violence and drug usage in American teens. Even further back people blamed killings on a witch making them do it. I have come to realize that no matter how much people like Jack Thompson complain they will get no where because more people are playing video games and they are becoming too big of an industry to get rid of just like rock and roll became big and now its safe and in everyday life.
CA
04/25/08 @ 4:00pm
Here’s the deal. People like the attorney aforementioned is part of the reason why our society is going in a downward spiral. They view a game like GTA4 as a catalyst for people to commit crimes and because it’s based off of modern day events. Take for instance Call of Duty 4, we dont hear attorney’s mudslinging that game and say that it contributes to people going out and killing other people. If you haven’t had the chance to play it, I would have to say that game is pretty violent and it’s premise is to kill people during modern day warfare too. I guess what I’m trying to say is, nobody wants to take blame for their actions anymore. It’s just as easy to point the finger and use somebody else as a scapegoat to place blame on. It all comes down to money in the end. (I’m going to go off on a little tangent now) This attorney is trying to establish a case that is shaping up to be no different than the lady who years ago, burned her mouth by drinking HOT coffee from McDonald’s. Do you guys remember that? The lady was awarded an estimated 1 Million dollars because she was too ignorant to realize that coffee is normally hot and that COMMON SENSE would tell you to BLOW on the drink to cool it off or let the drink sit to cool down enough until its able to be consumed. Defense Attorney’s are for people who lack COMMON SENSE! Now, to get back to the comments about the game is responsible for dumba** people in our society to commit crimes. Well lets just say this, people know what fact is from fiction, also people know what RIGHT and WRONG is. We cant lose sight of what this game is about and that is ENTERTAINMENT and nothing more. That’s my 2 cents.
Mark
04/26/08 @ 5:25pm
Well… hell… I blame Eli Roth… ;) And your mothers! lol.
Mark
04/27/08 @ 10:35pm
I’m gay.
james
04/28/08 @ 6:58pm
i will fuck jack thompsons kids in front of him and say this wasnt in gta but you made me do this bitch ill cut your youngest throat you made me do this when when they cry daddy noo i will then nut and walk away with a smile on my face and me wipping my drool of my chin
Jack Thompson
04/28/08 @ 7:04pm
That’s hot, James. Stop by my house tonight. Call me 305-666-4366
1172 South Dixie Hwy., Suite 111, Coral Gables, FL 33146
Jack Thompsons Kids
04/29/08 @ 4:44pm
Oh No!
ferox
05/09/08 @ 12:54pm
You humans need to take some responsibility for raising your kids.
You seem to think that the full responsibility for raising your children falls on rockstar entertainment somehow.
Jack Thompson is an idiot, the basic premise of all of his arguments is that parents don’t raise their children, but some british gaming company is fully responsible for raising children.
Not parents, not teachers, not peers, but some game designers.
Utterly ridiculous and shameful.
I wish Jack would stop spewing his tripe, giving people excuses to avoid raising their children and causing them to be up in arms about their own shared ignorance.
Jack Thompson is a tremendous failure, making his way in life by basically bashing a work of art.
Contributing nothing to the world but a lot of ignorance and hate.
A warm wet pile steaming in the cold wet snow has more conscience and character.
Anyone who says anything about this game without playing it is spewing hearsay according to the letter of the law.
Stop being ignorant and look for yourself with your own eyes.