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[Update]: Newspaper Changes Anti-Video Games Headline

[Update]: English paper the London Evening Standard has changed one of its subheads that originally blamed Grand Theft Auto IV for inciting kids in the London riots.

CVG reports that the paper has changed one of its front-page subheads on the riot from "Children as young as ten, inspired by video game, among the looters," to "Children as young as ten hunted by police after riots across city."

 

[Original Story]: Remember the part in Grand Theft Auto IV where a riot breaks out during a protest over a father of four getting gunned down by police? Me either, but the London constable nonetheless blames the game series for inciting the violence that has resulted in over 160 arrests across the city.

While others are blaming Blackberry, Facebook, and Twitter for the senseless violence that has spread into four London boroughs over the last two days, an unnamed bobby speaking to the London Evening Standard reached deeper into the grab bag of convenient scapegoats. "These are bad people who did this," he said. "Kids out of control. When I was young it was all Pac-Man and board games. Now they're playing Grand Theft Auto and want to live it for themselves."

There you have it – in the age of Pac-Man, rioting over the actions of the London police would never enter into the minds of the innocent youth. But now, Rockstar has injected anarchistic tendencies into teenagers' brains. We couldn't possibly expect this old chap to remember the Brixton riots of 1981 and 1985, could we?

To read more about the riots, visit the Guardian's riot hub. To read more about video games being blamed for all of society's ills, google Jack Thompson.

[via GamePolitics]

Email the author Matt Bertz, or follow on Twitter, Google+, Facebook, and Game Informer.

Comments
  • *Facepalm*
  • I blame it on Rock music. Turns kids into killers.
  • better keep a close eye on jeff now that he just played 50 hours of GTA4.
  • Ah, what a tool. Sometimes the police are just stupid, looking for anything to justify the situation that doesn't make them look bad.
  • Oh Billy! www.youtube.com/watch

  • Meh, I thought we were past this...
  • Mod
    I blame grand theft auto for inciting GI editors to break world records.
  • Ha, wow, that guy was reaching so far into the bottom of the barrel he accidentally found his intelligence hidden next to his balls. Ah well, what do you expect? When people are angry, they need to look for something to blame. It is human nature. Nobody wants to admit fault. Especially the cops.

    I have seen first hand how they lie. I have seen first hand how they can and regularly do manipulate reports in order to gain convictions. I remember getting a ticket once for supposedly doing 55 in a 35. No way in hell was I doing 55 mph on my own street. I told the cop he was either lying, or his equipment was busted.

    Got the ticket anyway. In court, I blamed Burnout and Need for Speed warping my fragile mind into thinking it was OK to speed and crash into other cars for points. It worked, got off without paying a dime.
  • Meh, each riot is inspired by something, and not necessary violence in pop culture. I guess just find better ways to contain riots, since they're still going to happen.
  • ................/??/)............(\??\................. ............../....//..............\\....\............... ............./....//................\\....\.............. ......./??/..../??\............/??\....\??\.......... ...././.../..../..../.|_......_|.\....\....\...\.\..... ..(..(....(....(.../..)..)...(..(..\...)....)....)..).. ...\................\/.../....\...\/................/.... ....\................. /........\................../...... ......\..............(............)............../........
  • Well if Jeff Cork starts rioting any time soon then we'll know this cop was right for sure.

  • I blame the police for shooting someone for no reason...
  • Big /Facepalm

  • you said "old chap" in a story about english people. :)

  • I blame stupid people for being stupid and inciting the riots
  • why the *** are all these people blaming others instead of taking some *** responsibility and maybe considering there are things they could do to prevent it in the future
  • I blame metal music, bad parenting, bad parenting, not being mature, not reading the rating on the box. Did I mention bad parenting? Oh yeah, and being STUPID ENOUGH TO DO IT.
  • I blame that scene from Men In Black where Will Smith talks his way out of shooting an innocent (in the shooting gallery) for this British cop scapegoating GTA to obfuscate his department's actions. You know, as long as were blaming things that were popular years ago for totally unrelated violence in modernity, based on some random part of that popular thing.
  • I blame Pokemon.
  • I love it when GI gets sarcastic. It's like the gradual quickening of sharpening a blade.
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