Body Found Near Barrie May Be Missing Gamer - UPDATED

[smithy_2045]

Aw, crap, not video games are going to get even more bad press. Maybe the US will end up looking like Australia, as far as game censorship atleast. If that happens, I'm going to hate this kid even more.

And if this kid really did get killed by someone he met on COD4 because he ran away from home when his parents took away said COD4, he really will be the most retarded kid I've ever heard of. Well, as has been said, atleast he won't live to spread his genes.

Australia doesn't really have a problem with game censorship. Sure, a number of games get refused classification, but most of the time they are resubmitted to the board of classification with a couple of minor things changed and sold. And, IIRC, the only thing blocking the introduction of an R18+ rating is one ignorant South Australian politician.

Internet censorship though, that could be a totally different matter if Senator Conroy gets his way...

 

[Elurindel]

Wow, this is tragic news. My condolences to the family and to Brandon, of course. I've been following the news on this one, and it's just another unfortunate case of a kid getting too deep into something, I think. That's not how Fox Noise will see it, of course, but it could just as easily have been pornography or Jack Daniels or anything. Tis just sad that once again there's a way to blame video games for somebody's death.

 

[Andy Chalk]

An autopsy is scheduled to today, to determine identity and also hopefully the cause of death. I'll be updating the article with the results when they become available.

 

[shMerker]

I know I said this in the other thread about this, but seriously, what is with the "what a dumb kid" comments? That's the whole point. He was just a kid. The reason kids need parents is they don't realize how dangerous the world can be. A lot of kids who do this realize that and go home. Sometimes they don't realize how much trouble they're in until it's too late. It looks like that's what happened here. You never did anything stupid when you were 15? I know I did.

 

[thebobmaster_v1legacy]

Is it wrong to hope that it is him? I mean, if it isn't then it means that some other poor soul has succumbed to a terrible fate. If it is him, at the extreme least no other family is in pain.

I hope it's him, just so the parents can know for sure if he's dead or not.

 

[Baby Tea]

Is it wrong to hope that it is him? I mean, if it isn't then it means that some other poor soul has succumbed to a terrible fate. If it is him, at the extreme least no other family is in pain.

I hope it's him, just so the parents can know for sure if he's dead or not.

It's sad, but I agree. Closure would be best, rather then living in what could very well be false hope.

I live in Barrie, I've seen the posters, and we've been following this story closely (I work at one of the radio stations). It's a tragic shame what has happened. I can't even imagine what the family is going through.

Condolences to the family and friends of Brandon.

 

[.Ricks.]

Great, not only is it sad enough that this kid is possibly dead, but now the news is going to use this as a way to bash gaming. I'm not saying gaming is more important than a kid's death,(far from it, in fact) but I think the news just needs to back off on the gaming part on this one.

God dam, the media should back of from gamers already, through their line of thought why not bash fishing? All those fishers that were dragged away by a big wave while practicing their hobby and/or passion? They too leave families behind, what about a race car driver o dies in a crash? What so bloodlust in a real world danger is alright instead of faked one in a virtual realm? Man this pisses me of....

And to stay on topic, the parents are probably praying it isn't him but part of them wants him to be, so they don't suffer anymore in a probably endless search for a probable same result... talk about trauma....

 

[AuntyEthel]

I don't wanna sound insensitive (which basically means I'm going to be insensitive) but running away over a video game really makes the kid a tit.

 

[Bluntknife]

I just commented on the other post about this a couple hours ago. Real sad. As much as I don't think it will happen, I hope the anti-game section of the media leaves the family alone. From what I gathered from the story, it seams that he was obsessed not with the game, but with the community where he felt like he belonged. When the parents took away his friends he ran away, but I don't think he meant it to be serious. It sounds like he was walking alone and there was some sort of accident, or somebody thought he was an easy target. Either way, it's a sad story that the media will exploit.



Edit: What's with everyone blaming the victim and calling him retarded? I thought the Escapist community was a little more mature than that.

You haven't been to Barrie before, have you?

hmmm...have you ever been to Barrie?
I seriously doubt it.
So dont comment on what you don't know, just makes you seem ,for lack of a better word, an idiot.

 

[Mr Goostoff]

I just commented on the other post about this a couple hours ago. Real sad. As much as I don't think it will happen, I hope the anti-game section of the media leaves the family alone. From what I gathered from the story, it seams that he was obsessed not with the game, but with the community where he felt like he belonged. When the parents took away his friends he ran away, but I don't think he meant it to be serious. It sounds like he was walking alone and there was some sort of accident, or somebody thought he was an easy target. Either way, it's a sad story that the media will exploit.



Edit: What's with everyone blaming the victim and calling him retarded? I thought the Escapist community was a little more mature than that.

You haven't been to Barrie before, have you?

hmmm...have you ever been to Barrie?
I seriously doubt it.
So dont comment on what you don't know, just makes you seem ,for lack of a better word, an idiot.

Actually, I have, I live an hour from Barrie, and I pass through Barrie on my way to my cottage. What gives you the right to make assumptions like that? "just makes you seem ,for lack of a better word, an idiot."

Nice grammar in that sentence btw

 

[Mr Goostoff]

I just commented on the other post about this a couple hours ago. Real sad. As much as I don't think it will happen, I hope the anti-game section of the media leaves the family alone. From what I gathered from the story, it seams that he was obsessed not with the game, but with the community where he felt like he belonged. When the parents took away his friends he ran away, but I don't think he meant it to be serious. It sounds like he was walking alone and there was some sort of accident, or somebody thought he was an easy target. Either way, it's a sad story that the media will exploit.



Edit: What's with everyone blaming the victim and calling him retarded? I thought the Escapist community was a little more mature than that.

You haven't been to Barrie before, have you?

hmmm...have you ever been to Barrie?
I seriously doubt it.
So dont comment on what you don't know, just makes you seem ,for lack of a better word, an idiot.

Actually, I have, I live an hour from Barrie, and I pass through Barrie on my way to my cottage. What gives you the right to make assumptions like that? "just makes you seem ,for lack of a better word, an idiot."

Nice grammar in that sentence btw

Although I agree with you, I had to leap upon the opportunity... you should never attack somebody's grammar without taking extreme measures to ensure that your grammar is perfect. I refer, of course, to your usage of the abbreviation "btw". Acceptable in itself, but unwise to have in a display of grammar nazi-age. Last time I checked, "btw" wasn't a real word, so...

It's the same as asap or awol, just not as professional, so sue me. And maybe you should try capitalizing Nazi. They were evil, yes, but this IS grammar here.

 

[Lt. Sera]

From the locked thread:

The dad had no clue as to how much gaming/community ment to the kid. I'd say it was a large error of judgement on his part. Poor handling of someone who's addicted/has social issues to anything can really blow up in your face.
Not recognizing the severity of the problems of your children often leads to severe issues and in this case, death.

I think it's sad that this happened, it could've easily been prevented.

As far as the father laying blame on games, understandable, no one wants to publicly state that their actions may very well have been the cause of their sons death. Doesn't make it less wrong though. Gaming addiction is a symptom of something underlaying, not a cause.

 

[Jumplion]

A thought strikes - we get very sad for this poor soul, but if we hadn't heard about him we wouldn't have been sad. People die every second, but we never mourn them in the same way we mourn somebody who has a bit of press. Why is this?

I'm sorry, but that's usually a question 9 year-olds ask. We can't spend out whole day mourning for the person who died 3 seconds ago, it's life and we have to accept it.

 

[Jumplion]

A thought strikes - we get very sad for this poor soul, but if we hadn't heard about him we wouldn't have been sad. People die every second, but we never mourn them in the same way we mourn somebody who has a bit of press. Why is this?

I'm sorry, but that's usually a question 9 year-olds ask. We can't spend out whole day mourning for the person who died 3 seconds ago, it's life and we have to accept it.

I guess so, and I realise that we can't mourn everybody, I'm not a simpleton, but sometimes it just seems a tad ... for want of a better word, unfair. I don't personally feel bad for everybody who has died, but it sometimes just gets to me that certain people are given ... again, for want of a better word, preference.

I admit, most people ask that question to themselves in at least one point in their lives (including myself), but we can't sympathize with everyone and it's the CCCCIIIIIIRRRRRRRCCCLLLLLLLEEEE OFFFFF LIIIIIIIIIIIFFFFFFFFEEEE [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vX07j9SDFcc]. I mean, the lion doesn't mourn every zebra it kills does it?