NationStates Jolt Archive

source (http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=14551&hed=Youth%E2%80%99s+Death+Linked+to+Game)


Blizzard faces a lawsuit from Chinese parents, who say World of Warcraft caused the death of their son.
November 18, 2005

In the latest saga over online gaming addiction in China, the parents of a 13-year-old Tianjin boy are suing the makers of World of Warcraft, blaming the game for the death of their son, according to the Chinese news agency Xinhua.

The parents filed a suit against Blizzard Entertainment on Wednesday, saying their son jumped to his death while reenacting a scene from the game, the report said. The parents are backed by the anti-Internet addiction advocate Zhang Chunliang.

Mr. Chunliang has spoken to 63 parents whose children have allegedly suffered from online gaming addiction and plans to file a class-action suit, according to the report.


So, are Blizzard at fault here for making their game too addictive, or is it a case of parent's not taking responsibility for their child's wellbeing?

It's the child's fault for being a fucking idiot and ruining it for his country of...about 1 billion people.

can people (admittedly 13 year old people) not be responsible for their own deaths? Maybe the kid was just crazy?

Why isn't there a "The kid was a fucktard" option on the poll? :rolleyes:

Seriously, blaming either Blizzard or the kid's parents for that little moron's lack of knowledge of reality is baffling. :eek:

I voted for the parents being the problem..I don't think it was completely there fault but they should be the ones that know there kids and if they would have a problem with the game...personally I think that if a kid has a very active imagination then they should check what games they play.

Whose sig is that has the quote "Games should come with a warning saying 'Do not buy if your kid is nuts'"? So. Perfect. For. This. Thread.

When it's a kid that small, it's the parents' fault. You can't say the kid is a fucktard because what he is at that age is totally dependent on how his parents have raised him.

Later in adolescence, you'd have a point, but not for a kid that small. It's the parents' fault.

When it's a kid that small, it's the parents' fault. You can't say the kid is a fucktard because what he is at that age is totally dependent on how his parents have raised him.

Later in adolescence, you'd have a point, but not for a kid that small. It's the parents' fault.
My apologies dear sir...

But at 13, I was perfectly aware of "the jumping off a bridge = death" equation. And my parents had not needed to teach me that for me to understand.

A 13 years old teenager isn't a 3 years old kid who likes to get his fingers in the power outlets and touch the red circles on top of the oven. At that age, he should be aware that falling = hurt, and that falling from a bridge = dead.

It's just that simple.

Kid is to blame for confusing fiction with reality

Parents are to blame for not informing their kid, or making sure that their kid was informed, that fiction is not equal to reality.

Blizzard is not to blame. They didn't make this game with the intention to kill people. They also probably clearly state that their games are fictional.

I blame Leeroy Jenkins.

*snip*

Perhaps the parents did not inform their kid well enough that "falling off bridge = death".

I blame Leeroy Jenkins.
So did his clan.

*gets coat*

mixture of parents and child in my view

Perhaps the parents did not inform their kid well enough that "falling off bridge = death".
Mine didn't have to tell me for me not to want to try it out.

Mine didn't have to tell me for me not to want to try it out.

I'm saying that the parents should have taught the child that a game is just a game and not reality. Quite obviously, he thought it was reality so much, that he was doing suicidal things.

Er exactly how did the kid die and how was that supposedly related to Blizzard?

Er exactly how did the kid die and how was that supposedly related to Blizzard?
Having never played the game, I hypothesise that the child jumped to his death trying to re-enact part of the game. Now, for the experimental data:

The parents filed a suit against Blizzard Entertainment on Wednesday, saying their son jumped to his death while reenacting a scene from the game, the report said.
EDIT: Although it isn't really anything to do with Blizzard, IMO. The child deserves a Darwin award.

What an idiot. No one, and I mean NO ONE, WANTS to jump off Thunder Bluff.

But actually, I'd like this to result in the end of WoW in China, so as to curb the foreign farming company activity.

I see this as the parents abdicating their responsibilities, then in order to shift the guilt and rightful blame from themselves, pointing the fingers at someone else.

1) They could have terminated the internet access.
2) They could have removed their child's computer access.
3) They could have destroyed the copy of the game and uninstalled it from the computer.
4) They could have limited his time on the computer.
5) They could have gotten the mental help he obviously needed if at 13 he could not distinguish between reality and digital sprites moving across the screen.
6) They could have sat with him and seen how much of his time was spent in the ether vs. in the real world.


But why blame their poor parenting skills, their absolute lack of knowledge of how much time was spent on this, their lack of knowledge of the child's immaturity or mental illness, and their inability or unwillingness to do anything about it on themselves? Easier to point the finger at others and soothe one's conscience by saying it was the evil gamemaker.

source (http://www.redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=14551&hed=Youth%E2%80%99s+Death+Linked+to+Game)



So, are Blizzard at fault here for making their game too addictive, or is it a case of parent's not taking responsibility for their child's wellbeing?

The Parents fault.

I'm saying that the parents should have taught the child that a game is just a game and not reality. Quite obviously, he thought it was reality so much, that he was doing suicidal things.
I rather think his parents are trying to push that idea forward so they get a few thousand bucks from blizzard.

Again, my parents did not need to teach me games =/= reality. I figured that out in the first 5 seconds I played Super Mario brothers.

The child deserves a Darwin award.
Indeed he does. Natural selection at it's best.

I rather think his parents are trying to push that idea forward so they get a few thousand bucks from blizzard.

Again, my parents did not need to teach me games =/= reality. I figured that out in the first 5 seconds I played Super Mario brothers.

What, you never ate a mushroom that made you double in size before? The people at the zoo weren't very understanding either, but that's probably because they found me standing knee-deep in turtle guts.

What, you never ate a mushroom that made you double in size before? The people at the zoo weren't very understanding either, but that's probably because they found me standing knee-deep in turtle guts.
Those evil turtles only had what they deserved! :gundge:

Those evil turtles only had what they deserved! :gundge:

Especially after I found that blonde chick they tied up in a bag.

Where's my complimentary Myrth option?

Especially after I found that blonde chick they tied up in a bag.
So did you do her like mario does in the game? :p :fluffle:

Where's my complimentary Myrth option?
He jumped off a bridge because he didn't know it would hurt. :rolleyes:

So did you do her like mario does in the game? :p :fluffle:
Mama mia!

So did you do her like mario does in the game? :p :fluffle:

I cleaned out her pipes with my Warp Flute, if that's what you mean.

This is just the modern version of blaming rock and roll:rolleyes:

I cleaned out her pipes with my Warp Flute, if that's what you mean.
Here's some more innendo:
I travelled through her mysterious Warp Pipe:D :D :D

Here's some more innendo:
I travelled through her mysterious Warp Pipe:D :D :D
To cross-reference your innuendos with similar-sounding sci-fi based...stuff:

As long as you weren't going warp speed when you did it.

jumping off a bridge = death


WHAT!?!:eek:

Since when???:confused:

1 stupid kid dies after he tries to re-enact a stunt from a video game. I believe it is his own fault. Around the world there are countless millions of people who regulary play video games I don't know if its in the range of tens or hundreds of millions, i don't know how many people play video games. Then when one person dies people act shocked I mean. I mean grand theft auto sold tens of millions of copys in North America then a couple people try to blame there violent actions on the video game. People complain that video games cause violence, people think that people who play video games become killers. Out of tens of millions of copys of grand theft auto sold people think it causes violent behavior in people because the action of a very few individuals like 1 in fortymillion people who own games become killers. Hmm, maybe we should ban the Bible, I mean grand theft auto is only being accused of starting several shootings. The bible is responsible for over several hundred years of war.

WHAT!?!:eek:

Since when???:confused:

Well, there's the issue of height, size and weight to take into account here, relative to the bridge in question, but my short answer is as follows:

Prove it wrong, I dares ya.

Well, there's the issue of height, size and weight to take into account here, relative to the bridge in question, but my short answer is as follows:

Prove it wrong, I dares ya.
What, do fat kids bounce when they fall from smaller bridges?

What, do fat kids bounce when they fall from smaller bridges?

they sure do:p

but if they fall into water it's a different story...

What, do fat kids bounce when they fall from smaller bridges?

No, but if a 6-foot man jumps off a ten-foot bridge over some dinky little ditch, he's not going to die.

Unles of course it's a dinky little ditch of my design, in which case it will be full of scorpions, juntu stakes, sulfuric acid and bottles of Pepsi Blue.

No, but if a 6-foot man jumps off a ten-foot bridge over some dinky little ditch, he's not going to die.

Unles of course it's a dinky little ditch of my design, in which case it will be full of scorpions, juntu stakes, sulfuric acid and bottles of Pepsi Blue.
I'll assume Pepsi Blue is the equivalent of Coke Classic and scream.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

I blame evolution for killing stupid people.(like the kid)

Why do they think he was reinacting a scene from the game when he jumped? Did he tell them what scene he was about to attempt before he jumped? What scene would that be exactly? They should be asked these questions. I bet they know nothing of the game. Oh! Oh! maybe he pretended his soda pop was noggenfogger elixir and after he got the light as a feather effect he floated ever so lightly to the ground -splat- :rolleyes: I'm sorry the kid killed himself and feel for the parents, but please.. reinacting the game? They'd have a better case if they just said he played for too long in one session and went wacko. Still wouldn't be Blizzards fault, but I'd at least understand a bit where they are coming from. This reinacting excuse is bullshit.

So, the parents could be blamed with neglecting their apparently really stupid offspring but instead of shutting the hell up they go public and blame the the game's developer?

That is so wrong.

Instead of trying to make money off of that tragedy they should be lucky that they don't get punished for neglect.

Why do they think he was reinacting a scene from the game when he jumped? <snip>
Indeed i argee, i would like to know what proof they have that he was reinacting a scene from the game as well/