Thailand Halts Grand Theft Auto Sales After Murder

[thaihome]

Did the government even have anything to do with this? All the stories only say that the distributor decided to remove the game from the shelves. This could have been done voluntarily as a reaction to the negative publicity associated with the killing. I'd like to know if they were ordered by the government to do this or not.

Now, now, that last thing this thread needs is a voice of accuracy and reason. Much more fun to go on about banning and such, even though no such thing as actually occurred….

TH

[quiksilva]

Hmm well I think it has now

ONCC secretary-general Preecha Kanthiya said a person found playing, leasing out, selling or distributing GTA could be fined between 20,000 and 200,000 baht.

Meanwhile, the police Children, Juveniles and Women's Division was checking the number of internet cafes which offer online games.

The division would compile the information and use it to carry out a joint inspection with the Culture Ministry, Education Ministry and Information and Communications Technology Ministry.

Division commander Pol Maj-Gen Wisoot Wanichboot also warned that internet shops must remove pornographic and violent online material or face having their licences revoked.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/060808_News/06Aug2008_news18.php

Most of these shops will have to close, many games have some degree of violence. Typical over reaction to a subject they know nothing about.

Edited August 6, 2008 by quiksilva

[Moonrakers]

Hmm well I think it has now

ONCC secretary-general Preecha Kanthiya said a person found playing, leasing out, selling or distributing GTA could be fined between 20,000 and 200,000 baht.

Meanwhile, the police Children, Juveniles and Women's Division was checking the number of internet cafes which offer online games.

The division would compile the information and use it to carry out a joint inspection with the Culture Ministry, Education Ministry and Information and Communications Technology Ministry.

Division commander Pol Maj-Gen Wisoot Wanichboot also warned that internet shops must remove pornographic and violent online material or face having their licences revoked.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/060808_News/06Aug2008_news18.php

Most of these shops will have to close, many games have some degree of violence. Typical over reaction to a subject they know nothing about.

But what if I have already bought the game, does this now mean that I cannot legally play it and should throw it in the bin?

[paveet]

What this country lacks is the proper age-based rating systems which are properly enforced. As with everything, it is always a knee jerk reaction: oh ban it, take it off the shelf, etc.. there has been so many cases like this now but no one has really thought much about how to prevent this kind of thing happening again in the future.

[canuckamuck]

The game has no redeeming qualities, enforces sociopathic, destructive, and completley negligent actions. I can't see how anyone could resist destroying it as quick as you would an infestation of rats in your house. Letting yout kid own it is totally whack.

I think the government has a responsibility to ban such things. How much lower could entertainment get? Maybe we will bring back the gladiators and publically torture a few innocent citizens to death.

[bkkjames]

Is it just me, or does anyone else think that the guys at GTA love this kind of national news coverage? I don't know about you, but this hype makes you want to go out and buy it.

[niller74]

The game has no redeeming qualities, enforces sociopathic, destructive, and completley negligent actions. I can't see how anyone could resist destroying it as quick as you would an infestation of rats in your house. Letting yout kid own it is totally whack.

I think the government has a responsibility to ban such things. How much lower could entertainment get? Maybe we will bring back the gladiators and publically torture a few innocent citizens to death.

I completely disagree with you. It is up to people what they want to buy. Add an age rating on games and movies like paveet suggest. Banning a game in Thailand will have the same effect as banning Rambo in Burma (Myanmar).

Putting responsibility on anyone else than the parents of the child is WRONG.

Grats on post 1000 though.

[sjaak327]

Well, I own GTA III, GTA vice City and GTA San Andreas, and they are really fun games to play. I like the "freedom" that is offered in such games. Too bad GTA IV isn't released for PC yet, as I'm not going to buy an Xbox or that other gameconsole just for one game. But if it's released, I'll get a copy

[Jai Dee]

Duplicate topics have been merged into this thread.

[TheDon]

Well, I own GTA III, GTA vice City and GTA San Andreas, and they are really fun games to play. I like the "freedom" that is offered in such games. Too bad GTA IV isn't released for PC yet, as I'm not going to buy an Xbox or that other gameconsole just for one game. But if it's released, I'll get a copy

Your not missimg much, San andreas is the best out of all of them, You cant even hijack planes anymore or go skydiving. The reast of the game is the same thing as the others.

GTA 4 is San Andreas but you just cant do as much, its gone backwards

[quiksilva]

The game has no redeeming qualities, enforces sociopathic, destructive, and completley negligent actions. I can't see how anyone could resist destroying it as quick as you would an infestation of rats in your house. Letting yout kid own it is totally whack.

I think the government has a responsibility to ban such things. How much lower could entertainment get? Maybe we will bring back the gladiators and publically torture a few innocent citizens to death.

Have you ever even played it? Video games are persecuted by the old, just as rock and roll was when it first came out, so it is of little surprise to hear that these comments sound like the words of an aging Luddite!

In most countries these games are rated. In this case most GTA games are rated M for mature, and not recommended for sale to teens. In the UK they carry an 18 certificate, much like the Rambo IV film which coincidently was not banned here, but yet parents can take their 4-5year old kids to see (as happened when i saw this film).

Where was your outcry over that film or in fact on any other violent content in other form of media which can be accessed by children?

Do you see the hypocrisy yet?

Robski - I dont think there can be a compelling point for a correllation because I believe that there is none at all. A causal link has never been proven ever, anywhere, if anything this is what the US Surgeon General David Satcher had to say about the matter: "We clearly associate media violence to aggressive behavior. But the impact was very small compared to other things. Some may not be happy with that, but that’s where the science is."

How many murders are blamed on books or comics or films or newspapers? Granted there those committed by sociopaths who would have just as likely have committed those crimes anyway, but it hardly demonstrates that games are a danger to society.

It is the sociopaths that are a danger to society. The fact that all who knew said he was so normal means nothing, they say that about serial killers too.

Edited August 6, 2008 by quiksilva

[technocracy]

How things have changed me and my mate used to spend lots of weekends with a large amounts of weed, alchohol and GTA III on the PS2 general playing until we passed out - rather than deciding to go out and kill someone!

[quiksilva]

Oh and here are some facts

Games & Violence

2007 Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry

Download the 2008

Essential Facts About

Games and Violence

Facts, common sense and numerous studies all debunk the myth that there is a link between computer and video games and violence. Blaming video games for violence in the real world is no more productive than blaming the news media for bringing crimes of violence into our homes night after night. Having someone or something to blame is convenient, especially after an incident of terrible and unexplainable violence. But to do so is simplistic, and more importantly, it's wrong.

Credible real-world evidence demonstrates the fallacy of linking games and violence:

* Violent crime, particularly among the young, has decreased dramatically since the early 1990s. During the same period of time, video games have steadily increased in popularity and use, exactly the opposite of what one would expect if there were a causal link.

* Many games with violent content sold in the U.S. -- and some with far more violence -- are also sold in foreign markets. However, the level of violent crime in these foreign markets is considerably lower than that in the U.S., suggesting that influences such as the background of the individual, the availability of guns and other factors are more relevant to understanding the cause of any particular crime.

* Numerous authorities, including the U.S. Surgeon General, the Federal Trade Commission, the Federal Communications Commission and several U.S. District Courts have examined the scientific record and found that it does not establish any causal link between violent programming and violent behavior.

The truth is, there is no scientific research that validates a link between computer and video games and violence, despite lots of overheated rhetoric from the industry's detractors. Instead, a host of respected researchers has concluded that there is no link between media violence and violent crime.

Here is what some of those experts and studies say:

"...the research data don't support the simplistic claims being made about a causal relationship between violent video games and real-world violence perpetrated by the broad range of teenagers who play them. More important, focusing on such easy but minor targets as violent video games causes parents, social activists and public policy makers to ignore the much more powerful and significant causes of youth violence that have already been well established, including a range of social, behavioral, economic, biological and mental health factors. In other words, the knee-jerk responses distract us from more complex but more important problems."

— Lawrence Kutner and Cheryl K. Olson, Grand Theft Childhood: The Surprising Truth About Violent Video Games, And What Parents Can Do, 2008, p. 190.

To learn more about this book please visit www.grandtheftchildhood.com.

"… critics continue to target video games, as their graphics and plot capabilities grow more complex and at times more disturbing. Meanwhile, youth crime rates continue to decline. If we want to understand why young people, particularly in middle-class or otherwise stable environments, become homicidal, we need to look beyond the games they play. While all forms of media merit critical analysis, so do the supposedly 'good' neighborhoods and families that occasionally produce young killers."

— K. Sternheimer, "Do Video Games Kill?", Contexts, Vol. 6, Issue 1, pp. 13-17, Winter, 2007.

To read this research in its entirety please click here.

"The search for video game violence effects is a reasonable one. However researchers must be prepared to test their assumptions and the quality of the data that they are producing. When tragedies such as the Columbine High School shooting occur, it is tempting to look for 'scapegoat' answers to a complex problem. It is incumbent on researchers that they not let themselves be side-tracked by a prior hypothesis that may distract the scientific community and the general public from the real biological, social and family influences on violent behavior."

— C.J. Ferguson, "Evidence for publication bias in video game violence effects literature: A meta-analytic review," Aggression and Violent Behavior (2007), p. 17.

To read this research in its entirety please visit http://tinyurl.com/354xdf.

There are "many inconsistencies in the reported amount of research into media violence. Put simply, there are a lot of myths, misinterpretations, and mis-representations surrounding the quantity and quality of research on this issue."

— Raymond Boyle and Matthew Hibberd, "Review of research on the impact of violent computer games on young people," Stirling Media Research Institute (2005).

To read this research in its entirety please visit http://tinyurl.com/lt9fs.

"Most research on electronic play has focused on its possible negative effects for children and adolescents, and contextual factors such as socioeconomic status and culture are rarely considered…. The study explains how electronic games may also have potential benefits for young players that include providing children with the opportunity to negotiate society's rules and roles, allowing children to experiment with aggression in a safe setting without real world consequences, and facilitating children's development of self-regulation arousal."

— Dorothy E. Salonius-Pasternak, "The next level of research on electronic play: Potential benefits and contextual influences for children and adolescents," Human Technology (2005), pp. 1, 5-22.

To read this research in its entirety please visit http://tinyurl.com/ov9km.

"[There is] no support for links between computer game playing and aggressive feelings, thoughts or behavior although these outcomes are well studied…. [This] review gives strong support for computer game playing having positive effects on spatial abilities and reaction time. Spatial abilities are traditionally considered one of the most important parts of our intelligence."

— A. Lager & S. Brenberg, " Health Effects of Video and Computer Game Playing — A Systemic Review of Scientific Studies," National Swedish Public Health Institute (2005).

To read this research in its entirety please visit http://tinyurl.com/6da838.

"The research on video games and crime is compelling to read. But it just doesn't hold up. Kids have been getting less violent since those games came out. That includes gun violence and every other sort of violence that might be inspired by a video game."

— Helen Smith, forensic psychologist, youth violence specialist and author, quoted in Gerard Jones' book Killing Monsters (2002).

To learn more about this book and its author please visit www.gerardjones.com.

"It's time to move beyond blanket condemnations and frightening anecdotes and focus on developing targeted educational and policy interventions based on solid data. As with the entertainment of earlier generations, we may look back on some of today's games with nostalgia, and our grandchildren may wonder what the fuss was about."

— Cheryl Olson, "Media Violence Research and Youth Violence Data: Why do They Conflict?", Academic Psychiatry, 28:2, Summer, 2004.

To read this research in its entirety please visit http://tinyurl.com/9km2j.

"It is very difficult to establish a link between the use of violent video games and real world acts of violence. This is because there are so many other variables which have not been controlled for in previous research -- these include social factors such as drugs, alcohol, mental illness, access to guns, and so on…. I think that directly linking video games to school shootings is overlooking other important factors -- such as mental illness or psychopathy in those who commit the crimes as well as access to guns."

— Dr Guy Porter, Clinical Researcher, Discipline of Psychological Medicine, University of Sydney, Australia quoted in a 2008 interview.

Ratings System Helps Parents and Kids Make Responsible, Age-Appropriate Choices

Just as with other types of entertainment, there is a wide variety of content available in computer and video games to suit the wide variety of individuals who play games. In order to ensure in appropriate games do not make it into children’s hands, computer and video games are rated by the Entertainment and Software Rating Board (ESRB). This system gives both descriptions of content and age recommendations. In 2007, 45% of all games sold were rated "E" (for "Everyone"); 28% were rated "T" (for "Teen"); 16% were rated "M" (for "Mature"), and 12% were rated "E10+" (for "Everyone 10+").

The industry has also voluntarily established numerous tools and policies to help parents make educated choices and ensure that retailers only sell games to those whose age is appropriate for the game in question. For example, it is currently working with Governors and Attorneys General across the nation to spread the word further about the ESRB rating system. And the latest Federal Trade Commission report shows these efforts are paying off. Today, over 80% of parents are aware of the ESRB ratings system and over 70% of parents use the system in making buying decisions.

Some facts about the computer and video game industry today may just surprise you:

* The average gamer is 35 years old.

* More than one-third of gamers are women .

* More than one in four gamers is over 50.

* The average game purchaser is 40 years old.

* Sixty-three percent of parents believe games are a positive part of their children’s lives.

* Sales of "family entertainment" video games more than doubled in 2007, making it the fastest growing segment of the video game market.

* Ninety-four percent of the time, parents are present at the time games are purchased or rented.

* Eighty-eight percent of the time, parents report always or sometimes monitoring the games their children play.

* Seventy-five percent of parents believe that the parental controls available in all new video game consoles are useful.

http://www.theesa.com/facts/violence.asp

[bangkokrick]

This is a really terrible story and you have to feel for the family of te victim. They have not only lost a father but probably the main bread winner of the family to a mindless killing, so where do they go from here?

As for banning this game alone i think that this is the wrong thing to do. They should firstly look at the Thai soap operas that most Thais are addicted to. There is hardly an episode that goes by withot someone being brutally attacked by an individual or gang of tooled up youths and this is seen to be normal life as this is what soaps are supposed to be based on.

I do worry about the youth of today because they seem to do everything in isolation. ie they are either glued to a computer at home or in an Internet cafe. They wonder around with Mp3 players stuck in their ears and only seem to communicate by using mobile telephones. The social aspect seems to have disappeared. Whats wrong with a good old face to face conversation or playing physical games. It's a thing of the past me thinks and will only get worse going forward. Time for a reality check.

Cheers, Rick

[Heng]

Well, I own GTA III, GTA vice City and GTA San Andreas, and they are really fun games to play. I like the "freedom" that is offered in such games. Too bad GTA IV isn't released for PC yet, as I'm not going to buy an Xbox or that other gameconsole just for one game. But if it's released, I'll get a copy

Your not missimg much, San andreas is the best out of all of them, You cant even hijack planes anymore or go skydiving. The reast of the game is the same thing as the others.

GTA 4 is San Andreas but you just cant do as much, its gone backwards

Better graphics (more detail), better engine (the people in the city actually seem to be doing stuff, as opposed in GTA III, Vice, and SA... where they just mill around), more options and capabilities on the part of the main character....and I'm not even a serious fan of games or the series.

[TheDon]

Well, I own GTA III, GTA vice City and GTA San Andreas, and they are really fun games to play. I like the "freedom" that is offered in such games. Too bad GTA IV isn't released for PC yet, as I'm not going to buy an Xbox or that other gameconsole just for one game. But if it's released, I'll get a copy

Your not missimg much, San andreas is the best out of all of them, You cant even hijack planes anymore or go skydiving. The reast of the game is the same thing as the others.

GTA 4 is San Andreas but you just cant do as much, its gone backwards

Better graphics (more detail), better engine (the people in the city actually seem to be doing stuff, as opposed in GTA III, Vice, and SA... where they just mill around), more options and capabilities on the part of the main character....and I'm not even a serious fan of games or the series.

Graphics are not much of a improvement, plus you cant do at much as whata you could in San Andreas.

San Andreas you could steal Planes from the airport, a fighter jet from the aircraft carrier, get in a car with gang members and go into someone elses hood and take over there land, go to the gym and pump weights, learn karate or boxing, sky dive, drive off a cliff. You cant do any of that in GTA 4. Also everything you do in San Andreas you can already do in GTA 4.

There is nothing new in GTA 4.

Only thing I like about GTA 4 is the character.

[Heng]

Graphics are not much of a improvement, plus you cant do at much as whata you could in San Andreas.

San Andreas you could steal Planes from the airport, a fighter jet from the aircraft carrier, get in a car with gang members and go into someone elses hood and take over there land, go to the gym and pump weights, learn karate or boxing, sky dive, drive off a cliff. You cant do any of that in GTA 4. Also everything you do in San Andreas you can already do in GTA 4.

There is nothing new in GTA 4.

Only thing I like about GTA 4 is the character.

Huge improvement, especially the cut scenes. Saying that the only thing you like is the character is like half the game. It's a more capable character. SA, it's like you're playing as Snoop Dog while after he's smoked a few.

[kmart]

The game has no redeeming qualities, enforces sociopathic, destructive, and completley negligent actions. I can't see how anyone could resist destroying it as quick as you would an infestation of rats in your house. Letting yout kid own it is totally whack.

I think the government has a responsibility to ban such things. How much lower could entertainment get? Maybe we will bring back the gladiators and publically torture a few innocent citizens to death.

You just sold me. I want one.

[DP25]

I really doubt this kid has even played GTAIV anyway. He said in an article he was getting 100 baht per day in allowance from his parents, which he used to play video games at a cafe, and that it wasn't enough money for his habit, which is why he committed the robbery. Has anyone ever seen a game cafe in Thailand that has PS3 and GTAIV? I never have. They have PC cafes, which don't have GTA, and they have PS2 cafes, where 99% of people play Winning 11, the other 1% GTA3. Maybe he's played SA once or twice at a cafe, but no way that had any serious effect on his behavior. He just came up with this story to explain his robbery and pass the blame on to something else, hoping he's not going to get the death penalty for his murder. It's better for him to blame his murder on a video game, than to say he needed the money for drugs, alcohol, women, men, or to play football video games at the local cafe.

[Tony Clifton]

What's up with game playing addiction in Asia?

Nothing, what Thailand needs is to ban the tidal wave of bad parenting sweeping the country. Kids spending 32 hours and dying at the keyboard in an internet cafe (i know of two so far) or getting raped in the backroom, consuming yaba to play longer, even selling it to support both habits. One kid here did not go to school for three months and was pretending to sleep at his aunt`s house in the moo ban next door for two months. How the f*$& can parents not notice any changes in behaviour? Especially those on yaba?

Evil foreign conglomerate Tesco's sold him the knife.

Edited August 8, 2008 by Tony Clifton

[dotcom]

News today said some kids firebombed some cars in Georgia & learned how to do it from GTA4

[junki3korean]

can`t blame the game!

[canuckamuck]

They should make a game where bad parents are repeatedly assaulted

[hamishgillan]

why didn't they ban: taxis, people, knives, tesco stores, play stations, 500 baht notes and parents, that will solve the problem.

[js15084]

It was exactly the same thing. She has been very flippant with that statement by not specifying that she meant the taxi drivers who refuse to use their meters. They have almost done it in Australia, but instead just took out the blood and the sex scenes out. Nevertheless, you can still murder anyone anywhere. I don't see how they can stamp it out in Thailand.

=====================================================

Js15084

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[dumball]

It's not the games that kill its the lack of education and parents who do not care about what their kids are playing or doing in their free time. This kid obviously had problems separating reality and fiction.

How true , parental control is obviously lacking , this should start at an early age with TV programming etc .