Daily Mail Makes Up More GTA Crap

Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
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Daily Mail Makes Up More GTA Crap


A 13-year-old boy in France set some cars on fire and tried to blame the whole thing on Daily Mail's [http://www.rockstargames.com/iv] report of the story makes the whole thing sound like a big fat stupid lie.

The boy used gasoline to set three cars on fire in Lyon, France, telling police after the fact that he wanted to imitate Grand Theft Auto. "He said he played the game for a few hours, then wanted to go out and [see] what it felt like to burn out some cars," a Lyon police spokesman said. "This kind of entertainment is clearly having a negative effect on some young people."

But the credibility of the boy, and of the story itself, is left open to doubt by the Daily Mail report, which says, "The 13-year-old schoolboy used petrol to set light to three vehicles after playing on the violent GTA 4: Liberty City game on his home PC. The game awards points creating as much as crime and destruction as possible in a city." Ignoring for the moment the spotty grammar, there are more inaccuracies than actual sentences in the quote: Grand Theft Auto IV is not subtitled Liberty City, it has not yet been released on the PC and there are no points awarded in the game for causing "crime and destruction."

Did the boy blame GTA for his arson spree? Probably. Is it convenient scapegoating rather than a legitimate explanation for anti-social behavior? Almost certainly. And more to the point: Does half-assed sensationalism sell papers? You betcha.

via: GamePolitics [http://www.gamepolitics.com/2008/09/22/french-lad-torches-cars-gta-iv-blamed]

(photo [http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1059786/Teenager-torches-cars-watching-Grand-Theft-Auto-video-game.html])


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Andy Chalk

One Flag, One Fleet, One Cat
Nov 12, 2002
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The Daily Mail is a tabloid, isn't it? Sensationalism and shoddy journalism would be par for that course.
 

DeadlyYellow

New member
Jun 18, 2008
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Blame it on Postal and it would have been more believable.

What a moron anyway. Not sure how games are rated across the big blue, but I also feel shoddy parenting at work here.
 

ElArabDeMagnifico

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Dec 20, 2007
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Gosh this GTA scapegoat is sounding like The Salem Witch trials when you could kick someone in the balls, and then say "devil made me do it" - and the town would go kill/arrest/condemn someone else.
 

Dr Spaceman

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Sep 22, 2008
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While I definitely get upset about less-than-reputable news outlets smearing video games based on decades-old perceptions and mindless fear. This is far from new. All of us who claim video gaming as our own favorite pastime will have to wait for the next big craze to sweep our nation's youth off its feet until the Daily Mails and Jack Thompsons of the world give us any peace. Think, only twenty years ago Tipper Gore was leading a crusade against rap music that simply resulted in the placement of "Parental Advisory" labels on music with swears. How often does any of us hear about the evils of rap in the mainstream media any more? Just give it time.
 

meatloaf231

Old Man Glenn
Feb 13, 2008
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ElArabDeMagnifico post=7.72179.750685 said:
Gosh this GTA scapegoat is sounding like The Salem Witch trials when you could kick someone in the balls, and then say "devil made me do it" - and the town would go kill/arrest/condemn someone else.
That's because videogames are witches!
 

ElephantGuts

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Jul 9, 2008
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Another perfect stereotypical example of why I hate GTA4 being mentioned in the media. Besides the evidence-less blaming of GTA for crimes, and the whole witch hunt situation, the complete lies about the game are physically painful to read.
 

Possum-Man

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Jan 21, 2008
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Why does anyone listen to what the Daily Mail has to say? They may aswell just publish the headline "DON'T GO OUTSIDE!".

What I wonder is how this French kid set fire to three cars before anyone actually called the police. Where were his parents, neighbours, any responsible adult with half a brain?

P.M.
 

thenumberthirteen

Unlucky for some
Dec 19, 2007
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It can be embarrasing when the main stream media get information about games completely wrong, but when their argument rests on such shoddy facts it can only do harm. Imagine if a simmilarly poorly grounded argument where used in a courtroom.

Judge - "Prosecutor what evidence do you have that the defendent is guilty of murder?"

Prosecutor - "We believe that the defendent used his Atari 2600's inbuilt internet connection to send the victim a computer virus which spread from his iPod to his lungs and killed him by electricity".

This reminds me of that story where it was reported that pedophiles where offering children "game points" in return for photos. http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/85282
 

Lvl 64 Klutz

Crowsplosion!
Apr 8, 2008
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Khell_Sennet post=7.72179.750725 said:
I take great solace in knowing that my generation and all that will follow it shall have no faith in media. We know that there are lies, there are fucking lies, there are statistics, and there is the news.
We'll also be the generation to restore that faith. Or at least that's the impression I got talking to journalism and communications students at the ECA conference I went to in May.
 

bittman

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Sep 11, 2008
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It's hard to go by a day without GTA being blamed for something. Heck, after IV they'll blame watching TV too much on GTA-imitations.

I don't care about GTA (faked) controversy though. A lot of the target market are guys who like acting tough and driving fast cars into telegraph poles anyway.
 

stompy

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Jan 21, 2008
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TheNecroswanson post=7.72179.751603 said:
Who the hell keeps buying their kids M rated games!?
Mine... though, techncally, I can go buy my own MA games now.

As for the story, I must say... nah, it's all self explanatory: idiot news paper gets idiot story about idiot.
 

Booze Zombie

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Dec 8, 2007
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He was imitating GTA 4? Well he did a poor job, everyone knows that fire does nothing to cars in RockStar's "gritty, realistic world".

You have to pump three 12 gauge shotgun rounds into a car if you want some fire!
 

RYjet911

New member
May 11, 2008
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paulgruberman post=7.72179.750640 said:
The Daily Mail is a tabloid, isn't it? Sensationalism and shoddy journalism would be par for that course.
Right wing sensationalism and shoddy journalism.

I only read the centre pages 'cause I like Garfield. :p