FOX, America's agenda-free and unbiased source for well-researched news, has a new videogame related story up that links Call of Duty 4 with the disappearance of former Marine Eric Hall. Hall, who was wounded in Iraq, had been playing the game before he apparently got up, said he had to go, and then left, never to return. FOX would like to remind you again -- it was a videogame that caused this.
Hall's time in Iraq was traumatic, to say the least. He was injured by a bomb that caused damage to his right arm, left leg, hip and abdomen, and also had to witness his best friend's decapitation during the conflict. Prior to his disappearance, Hall had been suffering from flashbacks and hallucinations. It is believed he fled his home on a motorcycle, which was later abandoned.
Not to be mean spirited or anything, but who decided that playing Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare is a good idea after you've been traumatized in the Iraq conflict? Do people who have been savaged in a shark attack watch Jaws as soon as they're released from hospital? Perhaps he thought it would be cathartic, but obviously that's not how it turned out. A worrying story, and testament to what war can do to one's mind. Honestly though, I wouldn't recommend anybody who went through what Hall did playing CoD4. A negative reaction to the gritty and grounded war title should have been seen a mile away.
[With thanks to Brian Szabelski]
Jim Sterling serves as reviews editor for Destructoid.com, head of the Podtoid podcast, and produces a number of news stories, original features, one-of-a-kind videos. With his passionate argumentative style, controversial opinions, harsh delivery, and dedication to brutal honesty Sterling is a name that you can't help but recognize.
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Contest:
7:43 PM on 02.10.2008
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Surely an actual WAR with real guns and explosions and death is nothing compared to HI-DEF!
Hey, screw the Marine when you can gain ratings by demonizing an entire industry.
IT IS INFINITY WORD'S FAULT! THAY R MAYKING KILLIGN SIMULATERS! THAY TEECH PEEPLE HOOW TO KILL OTHER PEEPLE!!! SUE THM!! IT IS THARE FALT!!!
Seriously though guys, I don't like the idea of this guy being around me (possibly). :(
Do i need to say anymore?
At this point, I'm pretty sure Fox News is just trolling gamers. You know, for the corruption of LOLs.
"FOX would like to remind you again -- it was a videogame that caused this."
Uh... no where in that story does FOX NEWS claim a videogame caused anything (this is not an editorial piece). And for you to say that FOX NEWS is reminding us "again" is absurd.
In fact, I searched FOX NEWS for "post traumatic stress disorder and video games" and here's what turns up:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,292062,00.html
How about you do a story about FOX NEWS claims video game therapy cures PTSD?
Jim, I don't care for FOX NEWS either (although I'm not blinded by hatred like you appear to be) but making up more absolute bullshit trying to build up an internet frenzy is sad.
Based upon your reporting skills, you are either a complete liar or you lack average skill in reading comprehension.
Are you dishonest? or just stupid?
"A negative reaction to the gritty and grounded war title should have been seen a mile away."
But about the Marine, I just hope he gets found and can get the help he needs. You know what I would like to see Infinity Ward do....host a COD4 event/tournament, we donate money to play and the money goes to soliders like this one and their families. None of us here can really comment on what he is going through because we haven't gone through what he has. And you gotta love our government doing all it can to help our soliders in a not at all helpful way.
It's hilarious how someone who thinks his opinions are so important and unfailingly correct is essentially . . . sniffing at the hem of Jim's robe, for lack of a better metaphor. All it ever takes is a certain kind of post, and he's out like a rabid dog. Not even FANS are that pathetically dedicated, is the sad part.
I WISH I had that kind of free time. And no life. And an unjustified hatred bordering on (scratch that - stepping OVER the border and literally PISSING on the territory of) obsessive. And . . .
Wait, no I don't.
el oh el
But about the Marine, I just hope he gets found and can get the help he needs. You know what I would like to see Infinity Ward do....host a COD4 event/tournament, we donate money to play and the money goes to soliders like this one and their families. None of us here can really comment on what he is going through because we haven't gone through what he has. And you gotta love our government doing all it can to help our soliders in a not at all helpful way.
Sterling, I really didn't get the message saying that COD4 caused all of this. Instead I thing Fox was trying to say, "Hey, this guy has been going though some traumatizing experiences and mindfucks and then playing a war game was the last straw."
The article is just mentioning the game to give detail for what was going on before just leaving. It's not bashing the game nor is it making a warning against playing it.
I hate to say it, but sometimes reading your articles can be as bad as watching Fox News.
The game could clearly and quite reasonably be blamed for triggering his reaction, but he and his family bear the responsibility for his being exposed to it. Any game depicting modern warfare (like, oh, say "Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare") should be handled carefully around people who've been in recent combat. I would think this would be common sense. I wouldn't want a WWII vet to play a WWII game, either.
Send all donations to barnacle_flavored_cookie@yahoo.com.
No but seriously I live in Charlotte County, a little south of this guy's last known whereabouts. :( Poor me.
FOX News Headlines tomorrow:
MURDER BY VIDEOGAME: HOW A GAME MAKER HYPNOTIZED AN OTHERWISE HARMLESS MARINE INTO COMMITTING A HOMICIDE.
Whether or not it's just for hits and readers, they've made a HABIT of either outright painting video games up as "the bad guy" in several instances, or have distorted their own headlines to fit a story that's not TRULY about videogames - the story IS mostly about wanting the guy to come back, but to say "Video game may have sparked disappearance"? At the very least, they're willing to make an entire industry appear corrupt and evil to generate more hits to their news articles. It's not okay.
Besides, they casually dropped videogames in their headline, I casually dropped Fox in mine. If one's cool, so's the other.
Fox Needs to put a Sock in it and focus on what it does best.......uhhhh, what do they do best. I hate News people " Fox " So retarded.
Next thing you know some horrible car wreack happens and blame EA once again cause they played Burnout and thought it be cool to crash or start Showtime in real life.
Retards..
That's an awful big one-liner, taking up both the first paragraph and the title of the post like that. ;) Anyway, I understand where you're coming from, but I'm just worried that Fox is going to become our next Jack Thompson, a person whom only needs to be mentioned and the gamer horde starts banging the drums and lighting the torches. An easy page-view getter, if you will. (And no, I'm not accusing you of doing that.) I just don't want to see it snowball, at least not any more than it needs to.
That would be in quite bad taste!?
Or is that just me?
I dunno, I would just like to see Fox get its fingers burned for poking them in the fire one too many times.
Mad lulz.
Also, you said pisstaking. Hur hur hur... :p
i think jim sterling is a pretty cool guy. eh kills whales and doesnt afraid of anything.
Shit, I often think of fleeing home on a motorcycle an I ain't even been in a war. I say let a brother do his thing. COD:4 was not the catalyst in this case. If anything it serves to reinforce how we as gamers know little of the real tragedy of battle whilst we pew-pew-pew in the safety of our own homes.
Dude needs space. I know I would.
You dipshit. The link that you posted is NOT a Fox News article. It is an ASSOCIATED PRESS article. Huge difference. And it's from August 2007.
Plus, you're forgetting that while Fox News continues to fuck up every video game commentary, you have obviously forgotten how another Destructoid member pointed out the shear irony of them complaining about the "sex" in Mass Effect. Let me refresh your memory for you with their current article:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,329686,00.html/
(Hopefully, you won't get too much of a conservative hard-on for Ms. Fulbright's bosom.)
I bet we all can't wait for Fox News' report on GTA IV, right!?
damn my unfeeling nerd brain sometimes =(...
"Fox is owned by Viacom."
Correction: Fox is owned by News Corp. Viacom owns Paramount.
...A little Wikipedia would do you good....
BTW.