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Dad Finds Ecstasy in Used Copy of 'Grand Theft Auto'



Last Sunday, Richard Thornhill stepped into a Gamestation store in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, UK with the sole good intention of purchasing used video games for his two children. He made his way home carrying an illicit substance.

According to the Telegraph, Thornhill purchased two used copies of 'Grand Theft Auto' video games that day. When he opened one game's packaging, out spilled a saran wrap pouch filled with what would later be revealed as ecstasy pills. "I could not believe it," Thornhill told the Telegraph.

Immediately heading to a local police station, Thornhill handed the pills over to the police, who later told the Telegraph, "It is likely that they are ecstasy pills."

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Video Games

Man Murders Son's Mother Over Gaming Addiction

Man Murders Wife Over Gaming AddictionIf domestic bliss is your goal, here is a bit of advice; do not put your big plasma TV and your PlayStation 3 in the bedroom. Oh, and certainly don't make your partner sleep on the couch so you can stay up all night playing 'Grand Theft Auto.'

Carol Cannom, 46, of Lincolnshire, England, purchased 'GTA' for her 10-year-old son (we're questioning the intelligence of that decision, too), but soon became addicted to the game, herself. She would often play until five or six in the morning while she forced her partner and the father of her child, 62-year-old Malcolm Palmer, to sleep on their couch.

Palmer eventually became convinced that Cannom was having an affair and went into a "violent rage." Palmer stabbed Cannom with a pair of kitchen knives, leaving 20 puncture wounds in her chest and ultimately killing her.

Palmer's son called the police during the melee, after which Palmer reportedly took the phone and said into the receiver: "I'm sorry. I think I've killed her."

Let this be a lesson to those who think that their video game addictions aren't dangerous. [From: DailyTech]

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'Naked Gun,' the 'Grand Theft Auto' Edition



Anybody who has ever been an adolescent boy will jump up and applaud this 'Grand Theft Auto' homage to the slapstick cinema classic 'The Naked Gun,' courtesy of Neatorama.com.

For those who might be too "sophisticated" to know much about that seminal Leslie Nielsen film, 'The Naked Gun' begins with a spoof on that archetypal 'Dragnet'-style scene -- a first-person perspective from a cop car rushing through city streets. Only, in 'The Naked Gun,' the officer driving the car makes a few bizarre turns.

We're all anxiously hoping the creators of 'Grand Theft Auto' have a full-on 'Grand Theft Auto: Naked City' sequel in the works. [From: Neatorama]

Video Games

Parents Fear 'Grand Theft Auto' More Than Porn, Beer

After their poll revealed that parents fear sex more than violence in video games, a new survey by WhatTheyPlay.com shows that adults worry more about their children playing 'Grand Theft Auto' than watching pornography or drinking beer.

The poll asked parents about which behavior 17-year-old kid at a sleepover would concern them most. From over 1600 respondents, 49% chose smoking marijuana, 19% said playing 'Grand Theft Auto', 16% said porn, and only 14% went for beer.

Cheryl K. Olson, co-author of 'Grand Theft Childhood,' believes this is because video games are the most alien to adults out of the options. "Parents we spoke with in focus groups often bemoaned the fact that they didn't know how to use game controls - and felt unequipped to supervise or limit video game play," she says. Of course, parents don't want their children drinking alcohol, but that's a more familiar risk."

We can only imagine how they'd react to their children playing the "Hot Coffee" scene from 'GTA: San Andreas' while enjoying a joint and a Bud. [Source: BetaNews]

Video Games

Thailand Stores Pull GTA Games After Copycat Murder

GTA Series Pulled from Thailand StoresThe 'Grand Theft Auto' series has stirred up no shortage of controversy since 'Grand Theft Auto III' dropped back in 2001. Mothers Against Drunk Drivine (MADD) wanted it pulled from shelves here in the U.S.. Then, of course, there was the whole 'Hot Coffee' debacle that actually did result in the game's sales being suspended for some time. Now, the games have been pulled from store shelves in Thailand in response to a recent brutal murder apparently inspired by the series.

An 18-year-old fan of the franchise attempted to rob a cab driver with a knife. When the cabbie struggled, the student stabbed him and attempted to steal his cab and drive away. He was caught while trying to pull out of an alley with the wounded driver still in the back seat. The 54-year-old victim later died, and the 18-year-old is now facing death by lethal injection for his crime, which he indicated was an attempt at replicating the virtual crimes he committed in the games.

For now, the series remains unavailable across the nation, though naturally we're more inclined to blame the person holding the knife than the game he was playing. [Source: Yahoo News, and The Daily Mail]

Video Games

Hidden 'Grand Theft Auto' Sex Scene Still Earning Legal Attention

Hidden Grand Theft Auto Sex Scene Still Earning Legal AttentionIt's been about three years since the so-called 'Hot Coffee' scandal rocked the gaming world; a hidden sex scene in 'Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas'. It was the cause of an uproar from parents all the way up to Hillary Clinton, and, of course lead to the inevitable lawsuit. Now, as millions have moved on to enjoy 'Grand Theft Auto IV,' it seems that only lawyers still care about the infamous scene.

There's a class action lawsuit on the books against the publisher, Take-Two Interactive, that is supported by lawyers who planned to make a windfall $1.3 million in legal fees representing those customers who lodged complaints against the game. However, only 2,676 actually joined the lawsuit, and with most just getting a payout of $5-$35 and a replacement copy of the game, Take-Two is set to only have to pay out about $30,000 to settle the suit (plus make a $860,000 charitable donation). This means the lawyers leading the suit are charging 40-times the amount they have won their clients!

Seems all is well in the U.S. legal system. [Source: The New York Times]

Video Games

Violent Video Games Don't Cause Violence, Says New Book

No Reason for Parents to Fear Videogames According to Researchers
Think violent video games are slowly turning your kids into future serial killers? We'd like to point out that a couple of researchers from Harvard Medical School don't agree. The researchers -- Cheryl Olson and Lawrence Kutner -- recently completed a book called "Grand Theft Childhood: The Surprising Truth About Violent Video Games and What Parents Can Do," in which they dispel some myths about video game-related violence, and possibly give life to others.

In the course of their research, the husband and wife team spoke with 1,200 middle-school children about their gaming habits and how gaming affects their social lives. The researchers found that gaming is actually a very social activity for most children, with friends frequently gaming together or talking with friends at school about gaming. They also found that fascination with violent games isn't limited to miscreant little boys -- the 'Grand Theft Auto' series was the second most popular game for the girls (despite it not being intended for minors).

However, they also found that kids who played M-rated games were actually more likely to get into fights than those who didn't, 51-percent vs. 28-percent. But, Olson and Kutner's findings didn't necessarily lead to blaming the games; instead, they concluded that the kids who are more likely to want to play those games probably have somewhat violent inclinations to begin with. More studies are still needed, according to the couple, but since you're not letting your kids play M-rated games anyay, you don't have to worry -- right? [Source: Reuters]

Video Games

Grand Theft Auto 4's Liberty City -- a Side-By-Side Comparison With NYC



We all know that the setting for GTA IV, Liberty City, is supposed to be New York. But unless you've spent most of your time in the game staring at the scenery instead of wreaking havoc, you may not have noticed how spot on of a recreation Liberty City is. Thankfully, Flickr user Matthew Johnston has cobbled together a set of side-by-side comparisons showing off certain structures and locations in Liberty City that bare a striking resemblance to certain real world structures.

Johnston's gallery focuses primarily on Liberty City's version of Manhattan, but there are plenty of real life structures and locations in the outer buroughs too. In the meantime check out some of the choicest comparison shots below. [Source: Matthew Johnston's Flikr, Via: Geekologie]

Video Games

'Grand Theft Auto 4' Game Delayed

GTA 4 DelayedBad news for fans of criminal mayhem and excessive violence -- and bad news for Sony and Microsoft. 'Grand Theft Auto 4' has been delayed until mid-2008, a substantial push back from its initial October release date.

Sony and Microsoft were counting on the game to help boost sales of their game consoles during the holiday season. Now the Xbox and PlayStation are without a blockbuster, and share holders were skittish as publisher Take Two's stock price fell 16% on news of the delay.

From GameDaily via The BBC

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Weirdest Techie Heists and Scams

    Elderly Amish Man Caught on Film With Prostitute, Blackmailed
    When a 75-year-old Amish widower slept with a prostitute, he -- we feel certain -- felt pretty bad about it the next morning. As if that guilt weren't enough for the old man, the prostitute and her boyfriend demanded $67,000 from him, claiming that they had filmed the scene with wall-mounted cameras and would upload the recording to the Internet. The pair was later arrested and, we can only imagine, the Amish man abhorred technology more than ever.

     

    Bank Robber Gets Away With the Help of Craiglist
    In October, a bank robber -- wearing a safety vest, blue shirt, face mask and goggles -- eluded police with the help of Craiglist. Just outside the bank, while the robbery was in progress, stood a group of men who were responding to a Craiglist day labor opportunity. As the advertisement required, they were all wearing safety vests, blue shirts, face masks and goggles.

     

    Nude New Zealander Arrested After Responding to Fake Sexy Text Message
    Late in 2007, a Wellington, New Zealand man received a racy text message from two anonymous "ladies," giving him only an address and a request that he show up naked. Well, he indeed showed up naked... at the home of one appalled, unsuspecting New Zealander. Both the nude Romeo and the sadistic texter were arrested, though neither were prosecuted.

     

    Fake Craiglist Ad Costs Man Most of What He Owns
    Last Spring, a post appeared on an Oregon Craigslist board stating that the owner of a specific house was leaving all of his worldly possessions (still in said house) to whoever wanted them. When homeowner Robert Salisbury rushed home -- on a tip from a woman suspicious about the offer of a free horse -- he found his house being ransacked by 30 strangers. We suggest he take that horse and collect some vengeance Clint Eastwood-style.

     

    17-Year-Old Jailed for Stealing Virtual 'Furniture'
    When a 17-year-old Dutch boy hacked into several accounts on the Second Life-style site 'Habbo' in 2007, the the law got involved. The boy was discovered to have stolen $5,800 worth of virtual furniture and knick-knacks. Apparently, crime -- whether actual or virtual -- does not pay.

     

    Phishers Going After Your Phones in New 'Vishing' Trend
    Over the past year, sneaky spammers have begun to forsake the worn-out territory of e-mail in favor of cell phones' fertile frontier. The result? "Vishing." Get it? Voice mail phishing. It might be more ominous if it didn't sound like a James Bond villain saying, "Wishing."

     

    Burglars Break Into Restaurant, Steal HDTV, Leave Money / Food Behind
    Around Halloween of last year, a truckload of thieves drove into -- that's right, into -- a Pennsylvania Mexican restaurant, where they -- apparently uninterested in the cash register -- stole a mid-grade 47-inch HDTV and fled the scene. We've all heard about how this generation is lacking in ambition, but this generation's thieves, too?

     

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