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Judge in murder case notes physiological response to gaming
The folks at Game Politics have transcribed some of the judge's ruling in the case of Daniel Petric, the teenager who shot his own mother. Lawyers in the trial argued that Petric's motive was that he had been denied access to Halo 3. Although the judge convicted the boy, he had the following comments:This Court's opinion is that we don't know enough about these video games. In this particular case, not so much the violence of the game because I believe in the Halo 3, what it amounts to is a contest to see who can shoot the most aliens who attack.
It's my firm belief that after a while the same physiological responses occur that occur in the ingestion of some drugs. And I believe that an addiction to these games can do the same thing. The dopamine surge, the stimulation of the nucleus accumbens - the same as an addiction. Such that when you stop, your brain won't stand for it.
By Lol at 11:51 AM ON 01/14/09
Oh, no freaking crap. Here's a heads up to anyone who didn't realize it - that excitement, that feeling of exhiliration you get when you get on a great kill spree and are just regulating people (whatever the game may be) is basically the exact same thing as a cocaine rush. Chemically and otherwise. Your brain reacts to it the same way. Any experience which can cause ecstasy can cause addiction.
Now for the people who are NOT retarted, or who don't think drugs are just these magical things that all make you see pink elephants walking out of the walls and etc. It's nice to see that a judge still thinks that shooting invading aliens is not undue violence. Warms my heart a little. Give it five or ten years and the senseless massacre depicted in Halo3 will be labeled a hate crime. I mean, after all if we had just used DIPLOMACY the aliens wouldn't be trying to kill us and...
SOrry, that was for the stupid people too. Another heads up; some things, some people, just want to kill us. Any money you spend on killing those people is a damn good investment, assuming you value your life.
By Lol at 11:54 AM ON 01/14/09
Btw, I don't see why it matters if he was addicted. Addiction is no excuse for murder. It shouldn't even get you a lesser sentence, it should just be treated as a regular ole murder. This little turd should be in jail for the rest of his life; doesn't really matter that he's a kid, he's still a murderer and chances are he'll kill someone else if he's not in jail. At the very least he's such a loser that he's going to be dragging society down.
By Chijts at 12:53 PM ON 01/14/09
Been playing games since I was about 7. I'm now 22. About 2 years back I stopped playing games for the majority of that year. I ended up killing my entire fam- OH WAIT I DID ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
Even if games were an addiction what about tea (I'm English) or cigarettes - they can be addicting, yet I don't see psychopathic ex-tea drinkers coming at me with tea spoons.
By salwon at 1:39 PM ON 01/14/09
Am I the only one who finds it hilarious when people put "the" in front of titles that don't need it? "The Halo 3." It's gold!
Oh, I have nothing constructive to add to this discussion.
By Chijts at 3:07 PM ON 01/14/09
I don't know I think you raise a good point there the Salwon.
By budgethero at 5:55 PM ON 01/14/09
i can remember hearing somewhere that a judge or something referred to Resident Evil as "the evil resident in Raccoon Lake". he meant that as the title of the game.
By Raystorm at 6:58 PM ON 01/14/09
Okay, here's the thing: If you're too stupid to know the difference between a video game and real life, you should uninstall now.
As for some kid shooting his mom because she wouldn't let him play Halo 3? That's just stupid. That's bad parenting. Who the hell let him have a gun in the first place? Even if he found it at home, why isn't it in a LOCKED box? Or at least in a good enough hiding spot so he won't find it? I blame the kids stupidity, and the parents on this one. Don't blame the game for something they did themselves. If it wasn't Halo 3, it'd be because his mom wouldn't let him out past 10 or something.
By MARKISASPAZZ! at 7:26 PM ON 01/14/09
I'm confused. The court doesn't know enough about video games other than that this one in particular involves violence (must have been a real stretch to come to that conclusion). Yet the judge then goes on to describe the physiological responses that occur from playing these video games that the court knows nothing about.
While I think it's adorable that you have a firm belief it would be great if we could stick to facts. That just gives this guy a way to get out of it, I would have thought. I'm sure there is more to it but I can't be bothered to read more, because the act is inexcusable regardless, which I guess is the positive to come out of the comparison made. It's not like being on drugs is a reason to get away with murder either.
Still, something doesn't quite add up. Halo 3 just isn't a good enough game to kill someone over. Now if someone took my copy of Deus Ex. UR DED. Although at least I'd know who /didn't/ take it.
By Kyp at 8:50 AM ON 01/15/09
I really wish these judges would get half a brain. When I was a kid we played army and cowboys and indians with very realistic looking guns, some of which fired projectiles that are probably illegal today. Video games are pure fantasy and only the shrinks and lawyers seem to think otherwise.
My grandson and I have a blast playing COD 4 and MoH together and he has never even been in a fight in high school.
Kyp:
I really wish these judges would get half a brain. When I was a kid we played army and cowboys and indians with ve...More »