This is insane...

SilverOne · Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2002 10:12 am Post subject:

http://www.jsonline.com/news/State/mar02/31536.asp

I just can't believe this.. How instead of saying the kid had a problem, they blame his death on a video game.

Saw this on another site and thought I share it with you guys.

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FragFailure · Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2002 10:25 am Post subject:

Well after playing that game for months. It does force you to play many hours to advance your character. I decided to quit because of this. Half-Life is great because you can go on and off anytime you please. There's also no character to build.

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Deathbringer · Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2002 10:27 am Post subject:

Gay....just gay....
Blame the game...yeah right...the kid was 21 years old..
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[ This Message was edited by: Deathbringer on 2002-04-01 12:15 ]

hoaxie · Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2002 10:29 am Post subject:

In today's society it is easier that way. Blame society, blame the system, blame music, blame TV (not The Ville), or blame video games. It makes me sick!!! When are people going to realize that *they* are accountable for their actions? *Parents* are responsible for their children? Okay... Frag take this soapbox away from me before this becomes an insanely long post!!

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CyC0Dad · Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2002 10:48 am Post subject:

What pure BS. The parents knew he had problems and knew he had seizures because of it. What utter BS. They are looking for a way to remove their guilt over not doing something to help their son while he was alive. Same old story, no responsibility = no guilt. Maybe if they had taught him a little self restraint. Next it will be warning lables in casinos.

I feel for them, but I think the outcome was probably going to be the same no matter what triggered it. I avoided evercrack because of the addicting nature of that type of game and instead play for endless hours at the Ville. But at least I can stop when I want to.

hoaxie · Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2002 10:53 am Post subject:

LOL, yeah, I can stop, too. Long enough to read the forum posts. hehe

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FingerDemon · Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2002 11:15 am Post subject:

I loved that one line from the counselor about the guy who had a psychotic break after 36 hours of game playing. That he couldn't think of a drug that could do that after 15 days.

HELLO! Several popular drugs permanently change your freakin brain chemistry after taking it once! No fifteen day binges are necessary.

Oh well, there's no convincing people who think blaming something else is the answer to all their problems or grief or guilt.

FD

Albino Gibbon · Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2002 11:16 am Post subject:

Stuff like that has always made me a little upset. I think I have stated my feelings before. I guess it only takes one person to go over the edge to make a game at fault. The other 200,000 people playing it don't matter. People like placing the blame on others. I would take full blame if one of my kids did this. The kid was 21 years old. He has to take care of his emotions and his life at some time. If he had a mental disorder, I feel bad for him. That isn't cool. I never got suing people for these things. Now if they wanted something to be done other than receive money, I can accept it a little better. Suing someone won't bring their son back. To some people, money makes them feel better. That is insane crap. What the heck would a warning label do? People like addicting things. It is how most of us are. After a while, they might not like it and have trouble fighting it. That is an addiction. We know the games can be addicting. Sodas are addicting, so is candy and even sex is. What are we going to do have her put a warning label across her belly button? Lets make it go all around the board, not just games. Can't single one thing out right? The persons mom needs to look deep inside her and think about what she could have done more than blame it on a software company. Escape goats are for the weak.

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[ This Message was edited by: Albino Gibbon on 2002-04-01 11:20 ]

Snaggletooth · Guest

That guy lived about 7 minutes from my parent's house. If you read the article, his mom lives in a different city in Wisconsin, not Hudson.

(+)ASSASSIN(+) · Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2002 2:08 pm Post subject:

ya know I hate to be mean but come on, this guy was probably a social retard before he ever started playing that game. Its stories and such like this that make normal people look so damn bad when there online all the time. My roomate gives me a hard time for it, he jokes around saying that I cant live without my online games. lol because he knows me well enough he is just kidding but come on that a perception or stereotype that anyone who plays games online gets and its all because *parents* couldnt raise there kids well enough to help them develop social skills, so the end result is something like this. unreal. *steps down off milk crate and kicks it aside*

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FragFailure · Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2002 2:14 pm Post subject:

People have to understand in today's world there are choices and sometimes consequnces for those actions. Everyone loves to be blameless. I chose to quit EQ because I did not enjoy being "stuck" on a raid (because you really are if you commit to it.) I said "I'm not playing this until 2-3AM and get up at 6:30AM." When I don't feel like playing TFC, I don't. It's my choice and always will be mine.

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- The Originator of the Off-Topic Posts

FingerDemon · Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2002 2:52 pm Post subject:

Don't get me wrong I feel for this guy and his family. When my brother died, there wasn't anything more my parents could have done. But they still felt guilty about it. Its human nature that a parent feels responsible. I can only imagine they would feel even more responsible if it was suicide like this guy. It doesn't sound to me like this woman could have done much to save her son. But that doesn't mean the game company is to blame.

I do take exception to the idea the guy was a social retard, though. I mean, from the description he certainly could have been. But I have only known a couple of people with mental disorders and they were just super smart people. They couldn't control various aspects of their lives or feelings, but they were anything but dumb. And although I don't know a whole lot about it, the manic phase of manic depression, is said make those people really fun and popular until they spin out of control.

The bottom line I figure is that this was just a tragedy. But I can't imagine it will repeat itself in someone else with EverQuest being a major component. It was really this guys problems that ended up killing him. Sadly, mental problems kill lots of people, this way. To me that's the issue, not EverQuest or online gaming.

Well, that's my humble opinion,

<TVB>FingerDemon-VS

hoaxie · Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2002 3:24 pm Post subject:

You put it well, Finger. I know a great deal about manic depression (which has been renamed: bipolar). As with any other mental illness, it should be treated.

Unfortunately, people get so hung up on the term *mental illness,* that they sometimes choose to ignore it. And families sweep it under the carpet. It is like many other diseases or illnesses, i.e. heart disease. In order to survive it has to be faced and treated.

I am sorry for this family, but more sorry for the guy who died. I wonder how he must have felt. I mean, can you imagine being in that state... to the point that all you want to do is die? It is very tragic, really.

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YourPowersAreWeakOldMan · Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2002 6:01 pm Post subject:

I like the part about the College Senior having a break and thinking the game characters were out to get him. I've been awake longer than 36 hours, not playing TFC, and I haven't hullucinated. I don't think the computer gives off crazy rays like some of these people in the article thing. He had seizures because of the computer? More like he had something very wrong with his brain chemistry to begin with that made him have seizures.

Hehe they called it EverCrack.

ROOFCUTTER · Posted: Mon Apr 01, 2002 6:21 pm Post subject:

You can take any game, work, activity or anything and some of the people will have trouble with it and others are unphased. Everything happens in a spectrum, some on the left some on the right.
His situation is sad but not unexpected. It had to happen to someone. It will happen again.

I wonder if the parents ever considered that the game gave him the only joy he may of had and the suicide would of happened anyway.