Death by video game, or?

The halo kid died, known from many mostly described 'nerdish' video's shot himself while playing with his fathers gun when he was reenacting some halo moves.

this raises the question, is this the fault of games, something where Jack Thompson has been warning for since the Heath High School shooting, or is it the fact that gun ownership is legal in the USA.

That last question is more material for a debate about the First Amendment, but there is another side to the story,

This kid was 11 years old, and his parent where aware that Halo3 is a 18+ game and the obvious fact that this kid was going to far with this game, he skipped school, made fake-guns, costumes and played Halo from dusk till dawn.

So are games like Halo, Gta, Bully and Saints row to blame for this disgrace, or the parents who allow a elementary student to play a 18+ game.

Your thoughts about that last question, would you buy your elementary school attending kid a 18+ game, why would you buy a game for him on that age, or from what age would you say its okay to play a 18 year old game.

It's not video games that are to blame, it's the kid who was really stupid, and don't say I'm being disrespectful to the departed, the kid killed himself with a gun while performing Halo moves, that is stupid, nothing anyone can say can make me think otherwise.

People will die from stupid causes all the time, but when it's a "hot" issue like games, it can start a fire, it's not video games fault, it's the kid's fault for first off playing with a gun, and for not realizing the boundary between fantasy and reality.

This kid was 11 years old, and his parent where aware that Halo3 is a 18+ game and the obvious fact that this kid was going to far with this game, he skipped school, made fake-guns, costumes and played Halo from dusk till dawn.

MaxVanDenderen

You know, kids like to dress up and pretend. This is pretty normal. I haven't researched this in detail, but the fact that he made a Halo costume and played Master Chief is not an indication of psychosis. I don't know where people are getting this. For Chrissake, freakin' adults dress up like videogame characters, and few people accuse cosplayers of being obsessed (just nerdy). I don't think there is enough data to suggest this kid was doing anything other than being an imaginitive kid.

The fact that his parents let him play with a real gun while doing this is pretty ****ed up. It'd be like a kid playing cowboy, and his parents give him a real revolver, or playing astronaut, and they give him real rocket fuel.

So are games like Halo, Gta, Bully and Saints row to blame for this disgrace, or the parents who allow a elementary student to play a 18+ game.

Your thoughts about that last question, would you buy your elementary school attending kid a 18+ game, why would you buy a game for him on that age, or from what age would you say its okay to play a 18 year old game.

MaxVanDenderen

I might get my 11-year-old (that's how old this kid was, right?) Halo. I was precisely 11 when I started playing shooters (Doom), and I turned out fine. I have no police record, and I'm not antisocial. I did join the Army, so if you're anti-military, this might prove your point.

Halo's about a cyborg who fights aliens attacking Earth. There's nothing in Halo that you wouldn't see in Star Wars, Star Trek, or any number of kids shows (Transformers). I think the only thing that even got the game an "M" rating was the (rather tame) blood splatter when you shoot something.

I wouldn't get him GTA or Saint's Row. I think a supersoldier defending people is a positive role model (your mileage my vary, depending on your opinions of the military). The GTA games, on the other hand, glorify illegal behavior. For the same reason, I'd let my kid watch Terminator 2 before I'd let him watch Goodfellas.

[QUOTE="MaxVanDenderen"]

This kid was 11 years old, and his parent where aware that Halo3 is a 18+ game and the obvious fact that this kid was going to far with this game, he skipped school, made fake-guns, costumes and played Halo from dusk till dawn.

Palantas

You know, kids like to dress up and pretend. This is pretty normal. I haven't researched this in detail, but the fact that he made a Halo costume and played Master Chief is not an indication of psychosis. I don't know where people are getting this. For Chrissake, freakin' adults dress up like videogame characters, and few people accuse cosplayers of being obsessed (just nerdy). I don't think there is enough data to suggest this kid was doing anything other than being an imaginitive kid.

The fact that his parents let him play with a real gun while doing this is pretty ****ed up. It'd be like a kid playing cowboy, and his parents give him a real revolver, or playing astronaut, and they give him real rocket fuel.

So are games like Halo, Gta, Bully and Saints row to blame for this disgrace, or the parents who allow a elementary student to play a 18+ game.

Your thoughts about that last question, would you buy your elementary school attending kid a 18+ game, why would you buy a game for him on that age, or from what age would you say its okay to play a 18 year old game.

MaxVanDenderen

I might get my 11-year-old (that's how old this kid was, right?) Halo. I was precisely 11 when I started playing shooters (Doom), and I turned out fine. I have no police record, and I'm not antisocial. I did join the Army, so if you're anti-military, this might prove your point.

Halo's about a cyborg who fights aliens attacking Earth. There's nothing in Halo that you wouldn't see in Star Wars, Star Trek, or any number of kids shows (Transformers). I think the only thing that even got the game an "M" rating was the (rather tame) blood splatter when you shoot something.

I wouldn't get him GTA or Saint's Row. I think a supersoldier defending people is a positive role model (your mileage my vary, depending on your opinions of the military). The GTA games, on the other hand, glorify illegal behavior. For the same reason, I'd let my kid watch Terminator 2 before I'd let him watch Goodfellas.

[QUOTE="MaxVanDenderen"]

This kid was 11 years old, and his parent where aware that Halo3 is a 18+ game and the obvious fact that this kid was going to far with this game, he skipped school, made fake-guns, costumes and played Halo from dusk till dawn.

Palantas

You know, kids like to dress up and pretend. This is pretty normal. I haven't researched this in detail, but the fact that he made a Halo costume and played Master Chief is not an indication of psychosis. I don't know where people are getting this. For Chrissake, freakin' adults dress up like videogame characters, and few people accuse cosplayers of being obsessed (just nerdy). I don't think there is enough data to suggest this kid was doing anything other than being an imaginitive kid.

The fact that his parents let him play with a real gun while doing this is pretty ****ed up. It'd be like a kid playing cowboy, and his parents give him a real revolver, or playing astronaut, and they give him real rocket fuel.

So are games like Halo, Gta, Bully and Saints row to blame for this disgrace, or the parents who allow a elementary student to play a 18+ game.

Your thoughts about that last question, would you buy your elementary school attending kid a 18+ game, why would you buy a game for him on that age, or from what age would you say its okay to play a 18 year old game.

MaxVanDenderen

I might get my 11-year-old (that's how old this kid was, right?) Halo. I was precisely 11 when I started playing shooters (Doom), and I turned out fine. I have no police record, and I'm not antisocial. I did join the Army, so if you're anti-military, this might prove your point.

Halo's about a cyborg who fights aliens attacking Earth. There's nothing in Halo that you wouldn't see in Star Wars, Star Trek, or any number of kids shows (Transformers). I think the only thing that even got the game an "M" rating was the (rather tame) blood splatter when you shoot something.

I wouldn't get him GTA or Saint's Row. I think a supersoldier defending people is a positive role model (your mileage my vary, depending on your opinions of the military). The GTA games, on the other hand, glorify illegal behavior. For the same reason, I'd let my kid watch Terminator 2 before I'd let him watch Goodfellas.

I agree with Palantas. Video games have always been given a bad rap and blaming them is what's easy right now. Anything to avoid the real issues huh? Fact is this kid would not have shot himself had the gun been properly locked up/taken care of.

What completely boggles my mind is that this is not the first story of a child who had been accidently shot while playing with a gun. How can gun owning parents not take proper gun safety seriously after hearing stories like this time and time again.

Right the fact is now a days video games are getting the "Corruption of the youth of today" like the "Video nasty" has been labeled that and that's just like TV shows as well.

Now could games influence people to go out and cause a massacre, if you want my honest beliefs I think if people are going to go and shoot up a school then of course they are going to be ready to do that anyway regardless what film, comic book/Graphic novel, video game or whatever they have in there collection.

Now with regards to the "Halo kid" who killed himself, no way should Microsoft and Bungie be blamed or held responsible for the death, as cruel and callous this might come across the parents are the ones to blame. The reason why they are to blame is because they should have kept that gun away from him until he was ready to use it safely and responsibly. They should be held to blame because they left a 11 year old kid alone in the house when he should have been in school and then finally the playing of a game which isn't suitable is the final reason why they should be held responsible.

lots of people play halo constantly. the game never corrupt their minds

the childs mind was already corrupt. the game just help push him over the edge

It was the person, not the game. If a person is mild by nature the game will make no difference at all, but if the person is dangerious by nature then the game is more than likly going to make him worse, but then again pretty much anything would make that person worse

Who leaves a loaded gun where an eleven year old can get it?

When I was eleven, I was playing cowboys & indians, army, ninjas, and whatever else...

And Halo hadn't even been invented then.

If I had killed myself while reenacting D-day or something, would the US Army be to blame?

yea, kids should be learned how to hande a gunMaxVanDenderen

learned? "taught" buddy :]

You are all wrong it is most definitely the games fault.

The kid is eleven and probably most of his friends are that age and have halo aswell. The prents probably just wanted to keep there YOUNG child HAPPY so they got him the game he wanted, its normal. If the kid has the brain to make those costumes and weapons and also knows how guns work then he obviously knows that guns KILL. I doubt the parents let the gun out in the open, they probably had it HIDEN and the kid found it eventually. Also Bungie doesnt INTEND for its games to be played by ONLY 18+ so they really dont care if a **cking 10 year old plays the game they just want money. They game is all about killing and promotes it aswell. It couldnt be the parents fault because so many parents by their kids halo and even GTA and u dont see other kids shooting themselves. And to top it all off all of you here on on GAMESPOT.com so of course you are going to say it isnt the video games fault. I love halo as much of the rest of you and i play it alot and i am quite good at it but you are all very bias about this.

Gamertag: Soviet Fera

It stinks but there is some play in the video games part. I mean we can make examples like, I played army as a kid and I am fine. But you know, that is ACTUALLY your imiganiation at work. When you play a video game, your seeing this stuff with your own eyes and for a good amount of time. And depending on the maturity of the eleven year old that can really effect them. I am not saying games are 100% to blame, but we cant just brush it off that its NOT partially to blame!

Look, that fact of the matter is that the kid did what he was bound t do, so the flaw wasn't necessarily that his parents got him the game, but rather the way he reacted to it.you could get some kids any game and they would be just fine, grow up too get high paying jobs and never hurt a man in their lives, and some will go out and shoot someone or them-self. the problem is that the parents misjudged him and, got him the game, and then he was able to get to his fathers gun. In other words, it was partially the fault of all the elements involved.

Unfortunately, the people to blame the most are the parents. you can't Read people like books, so they can't be blamed for getting him the game, but they should have realised that he had taken it too far, gotten rid of the game and kept the gun away from him.

maxvandendere said

(So are games like Halo, Gta, Bully and Saints row to blame for this disgrace)

No, do you feel like trying to shoot yourself like that kid, just because you played halo or saint's row???, Of couse not, this has to do more with the parents leaving the kid unattended for long periods of time without any Kind of supervision

(or the parents who allow a elementary student to play a 18+ game.)

Correction

or the parents who allow a elementary student to play (WITH A REAL GUN)

( Having taken the day off school for some Halo, Joshua Nimm was playing with a rifle, re-creating the action from the game. Problem was, although he ejected the rifle's magazine, it seems he didn't realise there was a round already in the chamber, and it went off. As a result, Nimm accidentally shot himself, and died as a result of his wounds.)

The kid is eleven and probably most of his friends are that age and have halo aswell. The prents probably just wanted to keep there YOUNG child HAPPY so they got him the game he wanted, its normal. If the kid has the brain to make those costumes and weapons and also knows how guns work then he obviously knows that guns KILL. I doubt the parents let the gun out in the open, they probably had it HIDEN and the kid found it eventually. Also Bungie doesnt INTEND for its games to be played by ONLY 18+ so they really dont care if a **cking 10 year old plays the game they just want money. They game is all about killing and promotes it aswell. It couldnt be the parents fault because so many parents by their kids halo and even GTA and u dont see other kids shooting themselves. And to top it all off all of you here on on GAMESPOT.com so of course you are going to say it isnt the video games fault. I love halo as much of the rest of you and i play it alot and i am quite good at it but you are all very bias about this.

Gamertag: Soviet Fera

zaqqaz713

Newsflash buddy. The job of the parent is to protect their child, not to always make them happy. The parent is first and foremost THE PARENT, not a friend. You're argument of "most of his friends have Halo too" is completely asanine. What if all of his friends had herpes too? Oh well, I guess that's "normal" as you put it, so the parents should get the kid herpes too, so he can fit in. As for Bungie . . . if they didn't intend for the game to be 18+, then what did they INTEND it to be? Do you think it just accidentally popped out of programming with guns and violence instead of ponies and Carebears?

[QUOTE="MaxVanDenderen"]

This kid was 11 years old, and his parent where aware that Halo3 is a 18+ game and the obvious fact that this kid was going to far with this game, he skipped school, made fake-guns, costumes and played Halo from dusk till dawn.

Palantas

You know, kids like to dress up and pretend. This is pretty normal. I haven't researched this in detail, but the fact that he made a Halo costume and played Master Chief is not an indication of psychosis. I don't know where people are getting this. For Chrissake, freakin' adults dress up like videogame characters, and few people accuse cosplayers of being obsessed (just nerdy). I don't think there is enough data to suggest this kid was doing anything other than being an imaginitive kid.

The fact that his parents let him play with a real gun while doing this is pretty ****ed up. It'd be like a kid playing cowboy, and his parents give him a real revolver, or playing astronaut, and they give him real rocket fuel.

So are games like Halo, Gta, Bully and Saints row to blame for this disgrace, or the parents who allow a elementary student to play a 18+ game.

Your thoughts about that last question, would you buy your elementary school attending kid a 18+ game, why would you buy a game for him on that age, or from what age would you say its okay to play a 18 year old game.

MaxVanDenderen

I might get my 11-year-old (that's how old this kid was, right?) Halo. I was precisely 11 when I started playing shooters (Doom), and I turned out fine. I have no police record, and I'm not antisocial. I did join the Army, so if you're anti-military, this might prove your point.

Halo's about a cyborg who fights aliens attacking Earth. There's nothing in Halo that you wouldn't see in Star Wars, Star Trek, or any number of kids shows (Transformers). I think the only thing that even got the game an "M" rating was the (rather tame) blood splatter when you shoot something.

I wouldn't get him GTA or Saint's Row. I think a supersoldier defending people is a positive role model (your mileage my vary, depending on your opinions of the military). The GTA games, on the other hand, glorify illegal behavior. For the same reason, I'd let my kid watch Terminator 2 before I'd let him watch Goodfellas.

I completely agree with this post.

IMO, its the parents fault. for these reasons ^^^^^

[QUOTE="MaxVanDenderen"]

This kid was 11 years old, and his parent where aware that Halo3 is a 18+ game and the obvious fact that this kid was going to far with this game, he skipped school, made fake-guns, costumes and played Halo from dusk till dawn.

Palantas

You know, kids like to dress up and pretend. This is pretty normal. I haven't researched this in detail, but the fact that he made a Halo costume and played Master Chief is not an indication of psychosis. I don't know where people are getting this. For Chrissake, freakin' adults dress up like videogame characters, and few people accuse cosplayers of being obsessed (just nerdy). I don't think there is enough data to suggest this kid was doing anything other than being an imaginitive kid.

The fact that his parents let him play with a real gun while doing this is pretty ****ed up. It'd be like a kid playing cowboy, and his parents give him a real revolver, or playing astronaut, and they give him real rocket fuel.

So are games like Halo, Gta, Bully and Saints row to blame for this disgrace, or the parents who allow a elementary student to play a 18+ game.

Your thoughts about that last question, would you buy your elementary school attending kid a 18+ game, why would you buy a game for him on that age, or from what age would you say its okay to play a 18 year old game.

MaxVanDenderen

I might get my 11-year-old (that's how old this kid was, right?) Halo. I was precisely 11 when I started playing shooters (Doom), and I turned out fine. I have no police record, and I'm not antisocial. I did join the Army, so if you're anti-military, this might prove your point.

Halo's about a cyborg who fights aliens attacking Earth. There's nothing in Halo that you wouldn't see in Star Wars, Star Trek, or any number of kids shows (Transformers). I think the only thing that even got the game an "M" rating was the (rather tame) blood splatter when you shoot something.

I wouldn't get him GTA or Saint's Row. I think a supersoldier defending people is a positive role model (your mileage my vary, depending on your opinions of the military). The GTA games, on the other hand, glorify illegal behavior. For the same reason, I'd let my kid watch Terminator 2 before I'd let him watch Goodfellas.

Hear hear! Intelligent and well thought out. I guess I'd only take issue with the idea that his parents "let" him play with a real gun. I live in an area that's fairly rural (Central Maine), where kids often get their own guns at early ages, and where many (if not most) parents think that gun control is for sissies. I don't know any parents who allow their children to play with guns without supervision. Guns are common around here, and accidental shootings aren't uncommon. The two go hand in hand, really. But saying that his parents didn't store the gun properly in an inaccessible place and saying that they negligently allowed their child to play with it aren't the same thing. Let's not cast blame on them for something they almost certainly didn't do.

It's not video games that are to blame, it's the kid who was really stupid, and don't say I'm being disrespectful to the departed, the kid killed himself with a gun while performing Halo moves, that is stupid, nothing anyone can say can make me think otherwise.

People will die from stupid causes all the time, but when it's a "hot" issue like games, it can start a fire, it's not video games fault, it's the kid's fault for first off playing with a gun, and for not realizing the boundary between fantasy and reality.

McNulty5

agreed violence etc has been around way before video games

it's the parents fault

it's not the game's fault nor is it the gun's fault

i mean u gotta look at the big picture

there 300 million americans and prolly about 25 million of those play video games(its prolly more but w/e) and around the same amount of guns(prolly a lot lot more here too) and if the games were that bad and guns that bad we should have a rly big problem

instead we had one kid shoot himself

even if we have one kid shoot himself each month or so its still not a big problem

look at car accidents u have more than 1 person dieing each day

put that into perspective

This is the kid's fault and his parents too. "Halo Kid" should really know when to stop. He is eleven, not seven. His parents are to blame as well. Halo Kid's parents should have really taken charge. His parents let him have a gun and he died. His parents were aware of Halo being a M rated game and really didn't do anything. If I were Halo Kid's parents, when he started to skip school, I would really give it to him. It's not the game its halo Kid and his parents.

So it really is both their faults.

It's not video games that are to blame, it's the kid who was really stupid, and don't say I'm being disrespectful to the departed, the kid killed himself with a gun while performing Halo moves, that is stupid, nothing anyone can say can make me think otherwise.

People will die from stupid causes all the time, but when it's a "hot" issue like games, it can start a fire, it's not video games fault, it's the kid's fault for first off playing with a gun, and for not realizing the boundary between fantasy and reality.

McNulty5

agree, it was kinda the parents fault for letting their kid play an M rated game in the first place. Second, the kid should have known better than to play with a loaded gun. Thirdly, the fact that his parents let him play with a loaded gun is beyond me.

It wasn't the gun's fault.

It wasn't halo 3's fault.

It was a combonation of bad parenting and the stupidity of the child.

"or is it the fact that gun ownership is legal in the USA." - there you have it man, + parents should not have guns there kids can reach them.

Cant blame games for this.