Video Gaming Blog

This list has no intention of saying video games cause people to behave badly.
I believe people, yes…even children, have a choice in what they do.
Rather parent involvement is a key factor in the behavior of the young and not the games that they play.

As a single father of 2 now grown boys I can say that video games did tend to frustrate them at times with an occasional controller growing wings and flying across the room (a good sign it was time to put the game away) but more often the TV shows like “Ultraman” and “Pokemon” and the like would cause them to transform into superheroes for a couple of hours with the eldest inflicting overlord punishment upon the younger.
I remember a phase the neighborhood kids all went through where at 4:30PM every weekday, just after their shows were over and their homework complete (yeah right..), they would all gather outside and practice their newly learned skills. This being unfortunate for the youngest of the group as they became the “bad guys” that needed to be brought to justice via a merciless pummeling from the highly trained, superior “good guys”.
I never did understand why the young kids kept coming back for more punishment.
Though in fact this did come back to bite many of the older kids in later years as the younger kids became quite tough from all of the pummelings inflicted upon them. You know what they say about payback….. But that is a different story all together.……Right Jake?

I cannot ever recall them out there acting out GTA or bashing each other with baseball bats, at least not intentionally.

Anyway, here is a list of infamous “Video Games Made Me Do It” cases.

5: N.Y. Teens Charged With Robbery Claim They Were Emulating Characters From “Grand Theft Auto”
Six Long Island, N.Y., teens were arrested on charges of robbery early Thursday morning after emulating the notorious characters of the video game “Grand Theft Auto,” police said.

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4: “Video Games Made Me Do It” Defense in Alabama Murder Trial
The lawyer for a man being tried for murder is trying to convince an Alabama jury that the defendant believed he was acting out a video game when he murdered an 80-year-old man on Halloween, 2005.

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3: Boy Changes Murder Plea to ‘Hitman’ Made Me Do It
Jean Pierre Orlewicz of Michigan, who beheaded an acquiantence back in November when he was 17, is changing his plea from self-defense to “video games made me do it.” It’s a classic swerve.

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2: ‘The Video Game Made Me Kill My Parents’ Defense Rejected
Despite his lawyer’s claim that a supposed addiction to Halo 3 turned Daniel Petric into a killer, an Ohio judge has found the 17-year-old guilty in the 2007 slaying of his mother and wounding of his father.

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1: Warrant Reveals No Games In Cho Seung Hui’s Posession
Cho Seung Hui, the troubled young man whose nightmarish assault on his fellow students will most likely be studied for years to come, doesn’t seem to have been someone who had any involvement with video games in his recent history.

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There are tons of these. All seem to be an excuse as opposed to an infliction.

Keep in mind that if you get the urge to test the theory that Video Games Make You Go Insane, HomeComputerGames.com carries plenty of New and Used Test Media and Accessories at Low Prices.
(weapons and lawyer not included)

Thanks for stopping by,

Ken

Following is a list of the Top 10 PS3 Games of 2008
This list is compiled through purchasing popularity and consumer feedback at HCG

1. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
   Marking the return of Hideo Kojima’s legendary tactical espionage action series, Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots features a cinematic experience and visual masterpiece that will redefine this landmark franchise as a revolutionary game for the PLAYSTATION3 system. The game is the final chapter in the saga of Solid Snake that sends him around the world in pursuit of his arch nemesis, Liquid Ocelot. Armed with new gadgets and abilities, Solid Snake must shift the tides of war into his favor, using the chaos of the battlefield to infiltrate deep into enemy territory. In his globetrotting final mission, Snake must sneak deep into enemy locations in the Middle East, South America, and other corners of the earth to foil Liquid Ocelot’s. Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots includes Metal Gear Online “Starter Pack”, which is the full and complete multiplayer component of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots
2. Grand Theft Auto IV
   Grand Theft Auto IV is a brand new adventure in the GTA universe following the experiences of Nikolai “Niko” Bellic, a new immigrant from an undisclosed eastern European country whose troubled past and the persuasion of his cousin Roman have brought him to the fictional Liberty City. Unfortunately, Niko’s search for the American Dream and a much needed fresh start, hits an immediate snag when the rags to riches story Roman spun to pique Niko’s interest is exposed as not only a complete fabrication, but a ploy to enlist Niko’s well-known skills as a tough guy against the ample list of enemies clamoring for Roman’s debt-ridden blood.
3. LittleBigPlanet
   LittleBigPlanet puts the power of absolute creation into your own hands. If you can see it, you can enhance it. If you can’t see it, you can invent it. Start by learning about your character’s powers to interact physically with the environment. There are places to explore, creative resources to collect and puzzles to solve – all requiring a combination of brains and collaborative teamwork. Characters have the power to move anything in this glued and stitched-together 3D landscape; they have the power to design, shape and build both objects and entire locations for others to view and play. There’s no complicated level editor; all of these skills can be learned by simply playing the game. Immerse yourself in an organic world that’s just waiting to be personalized. Make your world as open or as secretive to explore as you like. When it’s ready, you can invite anyone within the LittleBigPlanet community to come and explore your patch – or you can go and explore everybody else’s
4. Resistance 2
   Resistance 2 takes up right where Resistance: Fall of Man left off. Hale is kidnapped by a black ops group in London and forced to Iceland for research testing. The full scope of what happens in Iceland is a mystery, but the game reveals that as Hale wrestles with the insidious Chimera war machine, he must also battle the virus raging inside his body that threatens to transform him into the very creature he fights against.

   Powered by Insomniac Games’ third-generation PlayStation 3 technology, Resistance 2 delivers several console gaming breakthroughs. Most impressive are the stand-alone, class-based, online co-operative campaign mode that can accommodate up to eight players, and the mind-blowing, 60-player, squad-based online competitive multiplayer battle fest. This unprecedented 60-player option could revolutionize online multiplayer game play and is sure to provide countless hours of action-packed fun

5. Dead Space
   Set in the far future, Earth’s appetite for natural resources has become a major motivator for deep space exploration. Immense, privately-owned and operated mining ships called “planetcrackers” orbit planets and use sophisticated equipment to carve out entire city-sized chunks of rock, reducing them to component elements and raw ore. When communications go dead on-board the USG Ishimura, a famous planetcracker — systems engineer Isaac Clarke — is sent in to fix the problem. Once on-board the vessel, Isaac discovers that the crew has unearthed an ancient and malevolent alien presence far beneath the planet’s surface and brought it on-board. Weaponless, alone and terrified, this lone engineer is burdened with much more than simple survival — he must seal the alien horror back into the dark rock
6. BioShock
   Journey through an amazing, immersive and terrifying world with BioShock. Caught between powerful forces and hunted down by genetically mutated citizens, you will come to grips with the mysterious and fascinating world of Rapture, a distinct Art Deco underwater utopia gone mad. BioShock not only challenges your capacity to adapt and survive, but brings to question your values and commitment to the inhabitants of Rapture. With smart and adaptive AI, no encounter ever plays out the same, while numerous customization options give you an experience that adapts to your playing style.

   Adaptive AI – Explore a living world where the inhabitants have interesting and consequential relationships with one another that impact your gameplay experience Experience breathtaking visuals that vividly illustrate the forlorn Art Deco city, highlighted by realistic water effects and meticulously detailed environments

7. Rock Band 2
   Rock Band 2 offers an unparalleled, deeper, dynamic gameplay experience. It has the ability to export most of the songs from the original Rock Band disc, Online World Tour, daily Battle-Of-The Band Tournaments, Auto-Calibration to eliminate TV lag, wireless drums, quieter, velocity sensitive drum heads, support for up to three cymbals (sold separately), advanced voice detection technology, No Fail Mode, and a real Drum Trainer. It also includes the ability to export your in-game band avatar to the internet and order custom Rock Band merchandise including apparel and figures.
8. Army of Two
   Delivering a groundbreaking strategic 3rd person co-op shooter unparalleled in the action genre, EA Montreal’s ARMY OF TWO focuses on gameplay centered on TWO-man missions, TWO-man strategies, TWO-man tactics, and a TWO-man advantage. Fight along side your teammate to become the deadliest two-man military outfit a government can buy. The breakthrough gameplay in ARMY OF TWO, with a live or adaptive AI partner, enables you to take advantage of two-man strategies like customizable weapons, vehicles, and tactical shooting. From TWO-man sniping to parachuting, players will experience action-packed scenarios where they will have to use their wit, strength and a deadly arsenal of shared customizable weapons to successfully defeat their enemies and complete the mission at hand. Gamers will fight their way through war, turmoil and a conspiracy so vast it threatens the entire world. When one man is not enough, it’s going to take an army of two to save us. Online Gameplay – Redefines TWO MAN online gameplay with players seamlessly moving from PAI to live players as they make their way through the game
9. Fallout 3
   For 200 years, Vault 101, a fallout shelter, has served the surviving residents of Washington DC and its environs, now known as the Capital Wasteland. Though the global atomic war of 2077 left the US all but destroyed, the residents of Vault 101 enjoy a life free from Giant Insects, Raiders, Slavers, and yes, even Super Mutants. Yet one morning, you awake to find that your father has left the comfort and security afforded by Vault 101 for reasons unknown. Leaving the only home you’ve ever known, you emerge from the Vault into the harsh Wasteland sun to search for your father. Fallout 3 is a singleplayer action role-playing game (RPG) that combines the horrific insanity of the Cold War era theory of mutually assured destruction gone terribly wrong with the kitschy naivety of American 1950s nuclear propaganda.

   Mind-Blowing Artificial Intelligence – Facial expressions, gestures, unique dialog, and lifelike behavior are brought together with stunning results Modern super-deluxe HD graphics

10. Call of Duty: World at War
    Go to war in the final tension-filled, unforgiving battles against a new ferocious enemy in the most dangerous and suspenseful action ever seen in WWII. Call of Duty: World at War completely changes the rules of engagement by redefining WWII gaming. It brings an uncensored edge to combat, as soldiers face the most harrowing and climatic European and Pacific battles. From the remains of Russia and the ruins of Berlin, to the beach and jungles of the deadly Pacific Theater, the volatile action takes on added depth as you employ new features that previously were only available in multiplayer, including perks, rankings and online stats in up-to full four-player cooperative gameplay

You can find all of the Top 10 PS3 Games of 2008 at HomeComputerGames.com at discounted prices. Take an extra savings of up to 90% by purchasing Used PS3 Games from HCG.

Ken