If you're crazy with violent tendencies to begin with, I can't imagine that playing GTA helps. However, that's just it -- this kid was crazy and violent to begin with, even if it never showed itself before now. Most normal, sane people can play a game like this and not want to go stab cabbies.

Of course GTA is not responsible! This is the same as when ppl sue McDonald's because they are fat . . . why are us Americans so eager to put the blame on others for our own shortcomings and mistakes? This guys is a fully functioning adult- the evening news is often as violent as GTA- you don't see masses of people out reenacting those crimes!

I hate when people try to blame the media for things that happen like this. Gimmie a break!! That kid was obviously a little off to begin with, people need to start learning how to separate fantasy from reality.

People blame the media because it's easier that way... if something goes wrong, someone else is ALWAYS going to point a finger at someone else. Own up, kid!

I've said this already, but Video Games don't kill people. People kill people.

If you do the crime you got to do the time game or no game. Art (or game in this case)can't always imitate real life

I don't think the game influenced his behavior he made a conscious decision make excuses( and a weak one to me) doesn't help the situation.

Ridiculous. The media absolutely salivates at the chance to blame something like this on video games. The guy obviously had major problems to begin with. Normal, sane people - the vast, vast majority of gamers - are not influenced by games like this to go out and commit crimes. There has been a whole lot of GTA4 going on in my house, and yet neither my husband and I have had the slightest urge to go out and hurt somebody. Imagine that.

i mean sure the game may have nudged him a bit or given him the idea, but the act and his violent take on it is totally his own initiative.

Is a person is that easily influenced by a video game to believe killing is ok, there are probably some deeper issues than just the fact they played Grand Theft Auto....

I love how people are so quick to blame anything other than themselves when something goes wrong. Always looking to point fingers. The guy was obviously crazy and some game should not be blamed because certain people can't tell right from wrong.

I wonder if he also had urges to go to the strip club everyday. That would be for sure a GTA influenced act. Idiots.

evildorkgirl is completely right.

I can't believe people are still trying to place blame on video games for murders. Remember when people were blaming Marilyn Manson for Columbine happening? Yeah, he was there telling the two kids "Kill kill kill!" the whole time right? Why can't the blame be placed where it actually lies...with the person who did it? There is no reason for a freakin video game to become the scapegoat. I wonder if he had played Super Mario Brothers and he went flying around stomping on people and eating flowers and mushrooms, would they have still blamed video games?

In a related story - BusJacker 2008: Greyhound Guillotine was a big seller in Canada...

to quote flip wilson, the devil made me do it. give me a break. he only stabbed him because he fought back. seriously? of course he fought back you thief!

man, that person is hellllla dumb. i don't get why they're blaming gta for it!

Obsessed or not, damn kid is 18. He should be able to tell the difference between right and wrong and that GTA is just a video game. You get what you deserve.

I've said this before, but I'll say it again: I grew up on violent, first person shooter games. I was only three or four when I mastered the mouse and learned a little German with Wolftenstein 3D. I soon took to DOOM, Duke Nuke'em, and other great oldies. If you think this was "different" because I was shooting Nazis/demons/flying thingies, or have never played these games, let me let you in on a little secret: they got graphic when it came to torture.

Despite all of that, I have not had the urge or inkling to shoot/and or murder anyone, ever. Even at the tender age of 3 or 4, I understood what was real and what was not. And no, my dad did not lovingly pull me aside to explain, I was just that balanced. If someone is unbalanced enough to take a game to the streets for real, a)they are responsible, and b)did their parents not see it?!

anyone who tries to emulate GTA4 has deeper issues.

If I chopped someone up into tiny bits wearing a hockey mask because I wanted to see if I could become undead like Jason from the movies, they wouldn't blame the people who make horror movies. This is silly. Just because someone is crazy doesn't mean that we should stop making video games. We'd have to stop making all sorts of things if that were the case.

Oh thank god 92% said no. I might have lost my faith in the Sugar community if the majority had said yes!

No way!! I can't even believe this is still an issue!

Unless his parents bought it for him then yes I do blame him, but I also blame the people who make such terrific games.

I blame the parents.

If video games were to blame for that, then there would be significantly more violent crime today. I've been a fan of horror movies since I was a kid, but I haven't gone and killed anyone. What I find interesting is that 6% of people said that they thought GTA was to blame, but didn't seem to leave a comment explaining themselves.....

wth so what? because i played duck hunt religiously as a child i can now go kill some real life hunters and blame it on the game? wtfever!

this is so ludicrous! anyone ever heard the term you do the crime you do the time?

still blaming damn video games, music videos, tv, movies, artists. ridiculous. absolutely ridiculous