British Media Blames Games For London Riots

[Radelaide]

If GTA has taught me anything, as soon as the riots reach 6 stars the army are getting involved.

/thread

And it's more interesting if you use weapon cheats!

OT: How old is the original GTA now? I mean, unless the people who were playing have waited 10 years or something to seek their vengeance, I highly doubt that this game is to blame. No, wait. I don't doubt it because it isn't to blame. It's because the English government are a bunch of twats.

 

[Eveonline100]

*facepalm*

I've heard nothing about the origin of the riots that hasn't been concretely proven, but I've been told it was some idiot trying to shoot at a cop, and said cop then proceeded to kill said idiot. I've heard nothing about the supposed motivations of the shooter, but video games seem like quite a stretch. This might be sensationalism due to the Oslo shooter's motivation being nebulously connected to video games.

In fairness, there has been evidence suggesting that the police opened fire first, and that the guy didn't use a gun. That is, however, apparently the cause of the riots, at least according to news sources here.

The problem with riots is that its kind of hard to tell who's to blame unless you're actually there to witness it; I've been on protests before where violence erupted largely due to the police being aggressive, leading to panic within the crowd, but the media and politicians will always point the finger at the protesters, whether it was their fault or not. I find it hard to believe that video games are to blame though.

Oh wells, haters be hatin'...

true. Although it is more of a convient scapgoat i wonder how many years will gaming has to go through this before we treated with the same respect as say flim or music?

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

An the thing that really pisses me off the most. When they have a reason why they did what they did, the press ignores it.

Shooting in Norway.....killer hates labour, is a racist, targets labour kids on island. Press says games.
Riot in London....they say some crap about man being killed. Press say games.
Any school shooting in USA....reason is normally disfranchised teen and bullied. Press say games.

How can you deal with the cause when you just blame some outside cause that has no relevance? Swear, this country is going to shit.

 

[goldendriger]

So in GTA you can rob Tesco?

 

[esperandote]

I had never seen a warning label that said that you need the original disc to be able to play the game. Also, the spanish translation has a typo.

OT: Did the looting take place at a videogame store? If not then it's BS.

 

[cardinalwiggles]

i was in these riots i was sitting in a pub when the gang of youths (they definitely was youths no-one was older than 23) (i was affected by the lewisham riots) invaded the pub and stole alot of cash and booze as well as mugging me from my phone and i honestly don't beleive any of them where influenced by games this was just plain thuggery and hooliganism. without video games people would still do exactly the same thing. this is no protest. chavs all of them.

 

[Tiger Sora]

Are they serious. The media in Canada knew first night of the riots that it happened because people were angry that some guy 'a possible gang member' was shot dead by police. And the actual violent rioting started when some 16 year old girl threw a rock at police. And in traditional British fashion everyone started rioting.

To accuse video games of causing people to riot in England is absurd. They just like to riot if you haven't been around the last 40 years.

 

[willsham45]

US Brits are not in the best state, with unemployment issues and general money worries and cuts generally not making anyone all that cheary and then a police shooting insident that put some people over the egde, they lash out. Some join in others flee.

The next day the message is spread in the news and some of the roitees and more decide they will do it again and it spreads. If you got nothing elce to loose why not.

It is a simple fact if you hear or see something it is more likly to think about it. Someone jumps off a bridge and kills themselves someone has a guard the bridge because some people will think hey that aint a bad idea.

In the terms of the roit pictures of roiting in greese and other parts of the work probally helped triggered it and yes maybe some parts of some video games could have helped implant the idea, but just as much as all the roiting in films and TV. Ofcause Video games are an easy target as always.

I must say I am pleased I do not live in any of the cities the roits could be triggered in.
It is also showing how pothetic the police are at deeling with this sort of thing. Once this is all over it will either result in police state risrictions being put in place or a total public out cry on the systems in place possabily with the public taking protection into there own hands.

 

[ParkourMcGhee]

Don't feed the trolls!

None of the news are actually saying it's related to games, and we pretty much know it was child chav gangs doing it.

I've been following the whole thing for at least 7 hours solid.

British Media Blames Games For London Riots

Civil unrest? Political activism? Rage against the machine? According to the Evening Standard, the London riots can all be pinned on Grand Theft Auto.

In case you've entirely missed the news over the last few days, London is embroiled in a series of violent uprisings. According to Reuters [http://news.yahoo.com/london-rioters-battle-police-shooting-protest-054921704.html], locals blame the riots on political unrest, while politicians and police pin the blame on "criminal thugs."

The latest dead tree edition of the Evening Standard [http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/] is emblazoned with the headline "Lawless London" and an image of two burned out cars amidst rubble on a city street. Below that headline is a blurb that reads "children as young as ten, inspired by video game, among the looters."

Initially that seems hyperbolic, but the Standard's story quotes both an anonymous police officer and a local resident who place the blame squarely on Rockstar's magnum opus. Intriguingly, neither the officer, nor the resident are referenced anywhere in the story beyond the quotations.

It should be noted that, as CVG points out, "the Grand Theft Auto series has never featured any form of interactive looting or rioting." In 2002, Rockstar released State of Emergency [http://www.rockstargames.com/stateofemergency/main.html], a game that focused entirely on causing riots, but that is neither mentioned, nor likely remembered by anyone in the UK.

In spite of whatever political or socially inflammatory motives one might read into this story, I'm most disappointed by the choice of media the Standard is referencing here. I realize that Grand Theft Auto is the rallying point du jour for the technological angst of a certain elder generation, but how can you write a story about riots in London and not make a single reference to The Clash?

What exactly do they imagine "London Calling" was about?

Source: CVG [http://www.computerandvideogames.com/314639/wrong-gta-inspired-children-to-riot-and-loot-in-london/]

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[sunpop]

Do you suppose they'll be raging about mass effect in 5 years?

Only if chavs start dry humping blue aliens in Piccadilly.

With our generations love of alien sex scenes by the time we get to alien humping good times in space all the older folks will be gone and we will be the ones who could ***** if we weren't enjoying it ourselves.

 

[ConnorTheRed]

<--I think my friend Von Karma has a few thoughts on this accusation.

 

[nklshaz]

The politicians are just trying to divert the blame from themselves. I play Infamous 2, but I don't go around shooting lightning out of my hands (But it would be awesome if I could.)

 

[Davey Woo]

If it's anyone's fault, It must be the Kaiser Chiefs, I mean they predicted this years ago...

 

[samsonguy920]

I was late to the party when I first heard about the riots in London, but I hardly think people just up and decided to do it because it was in a videogame.
But at least I know now if I ever visited or moved to Britain I would know not to waste my money on the Evening Standard...unless I was out of tp.

 

[Madara XIII]

If GTA has taught me anything, as soon as the riots reach 6 stars the army are getting involved.

HAHAHA See? Video Games do teach you valuable lessons XD

 

[Madara XIII]

<--I think my friend Von Karma has a few thoughts on this accusation.

Your Avatar wins the Most Appropriate Response of the Year Award

 

[otakon17]

Really? REALLY? REALLY? REALLY!?!?!?!!?!?
Again, they blame videogames. THAT'S STUPID, PULL YOUR HEADS OUT YOUR ASSES BRITISH MEDIA!
That is all.

 

[MajorDolphin]

...anything to keep people from asking the real questions or placing the blame where it should be.