The Times Online, following the great news media tradition of linking violent acts to videogames, has noted that German school shooter Tim Kretschmer was a gamer, making sure to note "sinister" parallels with Ubisoft's mercenary-themed FPS, Far Cry 2.
The article claims, falsely, that Kretschmer dressed in a black camo uniform to better emulate the FPS, a game which, as far as I've played so far, contains not a single item of clothing that falls within that description. Parallels were also drawn between the game and the killer's decision to hijack a car, as well as wield a Beretta 92 handgun.
"You can see their influence in the way these school shooters aim and shoot accurately and move from one target to the next, moving through people dispassionately," said Lieutenant-Colonel Dave Grossman, who for some reason is still treated as an expert in these situations, despite his humorous belief that videogames can make people accurately use real guns. As someone who has recently started playing Far Cry 2 myself, I can tell you that I cannot even accurately fire a NERF Gun, let along a Beretta 92. I don't even know what a Beretta really looks like.
Tim Kretschmer was a pathetic loser. A worthless psychopathic coward who couldn't take it just because some girl rejected his sad virgin arse. Whether he played Far Cry 2 or not, that would never have altered the fact that he was a nutjob, and a f*cking crybaby nutjob at that. Let's stop trying to take focus away from what a frigging pussy he was, because that's something I don't think ever gets emphasized enough with these spineless dickwads. They're pussies, and the news needs to stop justifying them and start calling them out.
Contest:
9:00 PM on 03.15.2009
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Pussies indeed.
Or it could have been the fact that the kid was handling and practicing with guns since he was 8 years old according to the article. Just a guess.
I say it's all some sort of marketing gimmick. Ubisoft must have paid this kid to shoot up his school as a publicity stunt.
Man, Postal 2 was awesome far all the wrong(right) reasons.
This is my face in reaction to everyone's inability to draw proper conclusions without jumping on the backs of video games. I think there is something to be said about socially awkward, depressed and spiteful people existing since the dawn of civilization and the fact that the kid's dad kept guns in the house.
So if I wear a long sleeve black shirt and pants I'm wearing army camo and I want to shoot people?
WELL FUCK ME. I guess i'll stick to t-shirts.
And I've played FPS's for years, and I think I would be scared of blowing my face off if I ever handled a real gun.
Oh . . no wait hang on no I can't
Do y'know why?
BECAUSE I'VE NEVER USED A GUN!
Sadly, the answer to that is probably yes. The people in power almost never actually get it. We won't be upset about video games.. but holographs will be the next big "evil".. or maybe some sort of paintball with consequences. Rock music has been "evil", novels have been "evil", plays that didn't involve religion have been "evil", it's just gaming's turn, and something will one day take its place, probably with our generation.
Personally I want wicked holographs.
Ever since the army has started using videogames to train their soldiers, they have obtained a 100% fire rate from people going into combat for the first time. This means that nowadays we are not afraid to shoot a gun. I'm completely against linking videogames to shootings, but you can't deny that they have helped in building confidence on firing a weapon.
QFT!
When reading the linked article, as soon as I got to in bold "From fantasy to fact: Game link to massacre" I thought surely that should be "From fact to fantasy" as that was the direction the article was now taking.
I'm sick of video games being blamed for the violence in society.. especially since that violence was there previously. .. If they want people to blame they should look closer to home... THE PARENTS!
Oh...
I love the word expert. Unlike Dr, or Professor, it's almost always self applied. I should know; I'm an expert in these things ;)
My first proper shoot, and I was nicknamed "the sniper" by the army guys, I couldn't miss! They figured it's down to my playing games, but it's just the ability to scan past a moving target and pull the trigger as you pass it. Aparantly someone who hadn't played hours of FPS games would fire as their sights hit the target, rather than where it will be when the shot gets there.
Still, I doubt i could pull off a headshot with a pistol. I'd like to give it a try, but I'm not a psycho, I value my life.
That's all it is, these shootings are kind of the suicide attempts of the past, just a "I'm going to a load of you wankers with me" suicide attempt.
It's not the games, movies, music or anything that is to blame it's socienty, putting way to much pressure on kids to fit in, the greedy, selfish competitive nature of a capitalist system forces kids like this who don't fit in to be jealous, angry and depressed. Causing these kind of "blowouts".
It's exactly the same, but completely different.
It's always easy for the media/politicians to blame it on games/movies/music just to avoid them for being the target.
As for me it's really easy the guy was crazy and why?
a) His parents made him like this!
b) Due to the fact that most of the parents have to work hard to get all the bills paid their is no time to really know and parent your kids!
c) Maybe the guy's parents where not in to the kid problems with girls.
d) All above.
In the end it's really said to say that it's due to games that these things happen.
Chop!!
It makes me sick, and it will make me sick when on of my own generation is fucking up holograms. Or whatever.
You need to change 'Along' to 'Alone' though , little error. Unless Along is another way to put it?
"Kretschmer’s father had started taking him to a shooting range at the age of eight, according to Zdenka Karanovic of the Lautenbach gun club. Just three weeks ago he went back to the range with his father, telling him he wanted to practise his aim"
How can you possibly link this to videogames after that?
Ok, I play video games, and I can fire a gun (despite having no real training). I'm pretty accurate too. But I think that comes from an high level of inborn manual dexterity. I picked up typing really fast, I can take apart parts of cars easily, I chop food with big knives at high speed. I'm just plain GOOD WITH MY HANDS. Nothing to do with video games. Some people are just good at things. Yeesh.
[/odd rant]
The big problem is people confuse matters. Just because "All men are created equal" is a viable societal precept, does not mean we are all tabula rasas (blank slates).
Sure, there are environmental issues. The kid seemed to have a messed up family life, and wanted to escape. Escaped into video games. Reached a breaking point, went out like a postal worker. Next thing you know they'll be connecting Dalmer and Manson to video games.
Experts explode with horror!
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