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Judge in Halo 3 murder case: 'We don't know enough about these video games'
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Yesterday, a press release from Congressman Joe Baca about proposed legislation that will require all video games rated by the ESRB to come with a health warning label.
Now, that idea has been routinely dismissed and mocked around the game industry already. However, all kidding and anger aside, this may just end up passing.
Sentencing came down today in the case of Ohio citizen Daniel Petric, who was convicted for shooting his father and killing his mother because they didn't allow him to play Halo 3.
According to transcripts of the case, the defense unsuccessfully tried a insanity defense, blaming prolonged exposure to the game that caused him to flip out when his parents took the game away.
While it would've been bad to have the defense work, the words spoken by Judge James Burge during the sentencing was just as damaging. "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." Burge also added, "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."
What does this mean? While the defense didn't take hold, this is the first time where a judge actually blamed video games for causing such a tragedy. This is just the kind of thing that people like Jack Thompson, Congressman Baca and Leland Yee have waited for to prove that video games are a danger to kids and families.
Just the mere mentioning of the words 'We don't know enough' just gave ammo to people who want nothing more than to demonize video games. This case can be used for people who don't want to educate theirselves about games and its effects. And no amount of anger or jokes can change a soapbox stand to people who are okay pleading ignorance.
But read the transcript and tell me what you think
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