back to article Teen attacks father in Fifa 2009 fight

Critics often blame violent videogames when any youth who owns a console steals or stabs. But a teenager in Italy has proven that violent games aren’t always the driver for physical brutality. The perhaps aptly-named Mario – aged 16 and from Rome – allegedly stabbed his father with a kitchen knife earlier this week following …

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  1. Capt John Yossarian
    Coat

    You couldn't make this shit up...

    Perhaps the kid is naturally a little shit and the game incident is merely a manifestation of his chav tendencies.

    Can't wait for the Mail or Express to get hold of this one!

    Mines the one with the machete in the pocket - always handy for board (bored) meetings...

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Joke

    huh

    the article fails to note the degree of condescending tone with which the "fatherly advice" was dished out, nor how "ample" the quantities of said tactical advice.

    Ah. Irony.

    Oh, and for the record, I now refuse to play games with parents. They are far too competitive at Wii Sports, Wii gaming should be a non contact sport, with referees to red card shoving while bowling. Could have saved my ankle. and dignity.

    1. John H Woods Silver badge
      FAIL

      I'd be interested to know...

      ... exactly why the tone of voice used by the father matters. Stabbing someone in the neck ... especially when you actually have to go and get the knife to do it ... is not something that can be provoked in any sensible person by the use of someone else's 'tone of voice'.

  3. JP Bonello
    Thumb Up

    Oh dear

    I dont know why, but for some reason today this post seriously made me rofl.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    WTF?

    What?

    "We bought him FIFA 2009 because we didn't want him playing violent games."

    It's football.

  5. strangefish

    hmm

    One can only assume that it is the kind of family where most arguments are routinely settled with knife play and the fact of a console game being involved is largely irrelevant.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I balme the parents

    if you are going to try and win an argument by punishment, then don't be surprised when that is emulated, though of course there could be degrees here.

  7. King Jack
    WTF?

    Knee Jerk Time...

    Quick lobby your MP!!! get this game banned! think of the kids....Please!!

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Joke

    incomplete sentence

    "We bought him FIFA 2009 because we didn't want him playing violent games..."

    since the doctors told us he was a deranged psycho prone to violence over issues with authority.

  9. LinkOfHyrule
    Joke

    It's a me Mario!

    We should ban this filth now! This is proof that videogames = evil! Down with everything that is totally harmless and fun!

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    shuve

    Shuve that up your arse and smoke it anti *insert your pet hate* nazis

    1. Brutus
      Joke

      My 'pet nazi hates' are...

      people who can't spell and people who use the nazis as the ultimate emblem of repression in arguments.

      :-)

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Stop

    Specious

    From the Article: "But a teenager in Italy has PROVEN that violent games aren’t ALWAYS the driver for physical brutality."

    ----

    I doubt that anyone (sane) has ever claimed that violent games are ALWAYS the driver for physical brutality, so there's nothing to disprove.

    To suggest otherwise is specious, at best.

    1. Ihre Papiere Bitte!!
      Joke

      Sane?

      "I doubt that anyone (sane) has ever claimed that violent games are ALWAYS the driver for physical brutality, so there's nothing to disprove."

      You haven't been listening to Our Beloved Leaders And Media lately. have you? They're all sane, right? Right? Anyone?

  12. Tom Maddox Silver badge
    WTF?

    Please

    Football, non-violent? In EUROPE?! The players, sure, but what about the fans?

  13. Blain Hamon
    Coat

    Violent games?

    “We bought him FIFA 2009 because we didn't want him playing violent games."

    Because we all know how there's been riots started by God of War fans, and we all remember when Zidane headbutted Materazzi while playing Bioshock.

    Mine's the one with the red card in the pocket.

  14. Tzael

    Blame the parents, I do.

    It's easy to blame violent computer games. At least incidents like this help demonstrate that it's not necessarily the games at fault. Personally I blame up-bringing, there are two entire generations below my own that seem to be incapable of understanding why they should be courteous to those around them.

    Why do they think like that? Purely because they've never had the threat of repercussions for their actions. Take any kid who has been given the belt by their parents on a couple of occasions during their childhood, bet they turn out to be more courteous and decent than those who aren't physically punished.

    1. Freddie
      Thumb Down

      Completely!

      As we all know, kids who're abused ALWAYS respect other people around them, right?

      I think I'd prefer the approach of parents fostering feelings of respect through developing relationships with their children, as I'd prefer to live in a world with less psychopaths. Strange, I know.

      1. Tom 35

        psychopaths

        If you want to create a little psychopath don't smack them and tell them what they are doing is wrong. Not very effective (or there would be a lot more psychopaths my age).

        Tell them that they are worthless little shits at least 3 times a day. Remind them that they were a mistake at least 3 times a week. Don't touch them at all (they might call the cops on you). This sure to have Jr. killing small animals by the time he is 10.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        So Freddie...

        When one of your children does something really bad (e.g. hitting a sibling, or general nastiness to them), do you just take them to one side and have a little chat, or is, just perhaps, a more relevant punishment more appropriate. And I'm not talking about nasty stuff (belt etc), just simple smacking. It's used as the ultimate deterrent in our house, and as a result we have two well behaved and courteous children, who are almost never have to be punished with this ultimate sanction - because they KNOW THERE IS ONE. (For example, the 8 year old has been smacked about 4 times in his life, the 4 year old about the same - he's a bit naughtier). Using this ultimate sanction more often would negate it's usefulness, and most of the time, talking does the trick.

        On the other hand, my brothers children, with a child psychologist as a mother, who have no ultimate sanction like smacking (a stiff talking to and a trip to the naughty step is about it) are atrociously behaved.

        Just my opinion of course, from my own experience, and I certainly wouldn't condone excessive corporal punishment.

  15. Kevin 6

    Oddly

    I find most the people I know that play sports games act out physically more than the violent ones. I remember my cousin in particular went through 5 or 6 controllers playing a old madden game (forgot the system) cause he would fling them when he got mad. Now sit him front of something like GTA and if he died stupidly he'd just go get a bazooka and level the area instead.

  16. Anonymous Coward
    Happy

    Not to worry

    Dad just ordered up some concrete boots for junior...

  17. Danny 2

    In a scene reminiscent...

    It's unfair to criticise him for cleaning his knife in his kitchen, that is just good hygiene. Plus, it should be taken into account that his father was Italian and therefore someone obviously getting in between a son and his true love.

  18. Greg 36
    Joke

    I'd be rich...

    If I had a buck for every time my kid stabbed me after I politely reminded him during a DDR session that white doodes can't dance.

  19. Mike Moyle

    Football hooligans...

    ...They're everywhere, aren't they?

  20. Eugene Goodrich
    Paris Hilton

    @huh

    I agree - my mother smacks me with the Wiimote while playing tennis, and it's not at all clear whether it's accidental. (Not so bad we live so far away, then.)

    Paris, because playing with her works out much better - I'm always the one doing the smacking with the Wiimote.

  21. david wilson

    Fifteen inch knife?

    What the hell do they use that for?

    Sounds like the lounge might still be safer than the kitchen.

    1. TeeCee Gold badge
      Joke

      Re: Fifteen inch knife?

      Maybe the father should be grateful that the lad didn't pick up the small sausage knife.....

  22. Citizen Kaned
    Joke

    not surprised....

    if anyone has played the fifa games they can be the most infuriating games in the world sometimes. ive often wanted to stab the dev team lol

  23. Aortic Aneurysm

    Maybe

    Maybe he was pissed off 'cause he wasn't allowed to buy fifa 10.

  24. Matt 13
    Joke

    maybe

    Is this a case of real life prompts video game violence?? if there was no hooliganism or viloence in real football, maybe Mario wouldnt have brought it back home?? on this unsubstantiated evidence and with kneejerk scaremongering factored in, the only way to prevent this in the future is - BAN FOOTBALL NOW!!

    If his dad wasnt such a tightwad and bought little Mario Fifa10 he would have been a little more sympathetic!!

  25. Aculeo
    Thumb Down

    What's the background?

    There's more to this story than just a game. In fact, reading the article I'm not all that sure the game's relevant at all.

    Even so, I don't think that those who Fear The Tech (I'm looking at you, Vaz) will be particularly reassured by the argument as it's presented here, since they'll presumably just see this as proof that, look, games *do* cause violence - even the supposedly non-violent ones!

  26. adam payne
    WTF?

    Kids today.......

    It sounds like that kid has got some serious issues!

  27. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    Aaahhh

    The classic Italian counter attack

  28. Rod MacLean
    Alert

    Help me please!

    Parappa the Rapper has just made me mow everyone in Tescos down in a hail of machine-gun fire!

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