how can i find articles about video game related deaths. I need to
find articles on both sides. I aslo need to find primiarly sources. I
need to find obituraries from people that have died from video related
deaths.

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Request for Question Clarification by duncan2-ga on 21 Oct 2002 12:26 PDT

Hi cobrion,
Can you be more specific about 'related'?  I presume you mean deaths
while playing games or shortly after?  Also, "both sides" implies that
there's some sort of angle you want (Articles for video games vs.
Articles against video games?)

There have been several deaths recently that have received a fair
amount of publicity.  Are you looking for information on these recent
events (PC computer gamers), or for deaths further back (i.e. 80's
arcade games)?

Video games do not cause deaths.

There is currently no evidence supporting the possibility that video
games may be responsible for deaths or injuries, however, it is best
to do the research.  BE CAREFUL, however, as lots of "extremist"
literature will slant the information, especially in relation to
hoaxes...
For example, about 2 years ago, there was supposedly a girl who
committed suicide because of problems with her online character. 
There was a huge outcry, but in the end, it turned out to be a
complete hoax.

I've not heard of accusations of video game related deaths, but my
guess is that this is similar to accusations of role-playing game
related deaths promulgated by organizations such as "Bothered About
Dungeons and Dragons"
(B.A.D.D.).  B.A.D.D. was founded by Patricia Pulling after her son,
"Bink" Pulling, committed suicide.  A number of religious groups,
especially those that also make claims about Satanic Ritual Abuse or
various conspiracy theories about One World Government, have made
similar claims.  (A good example is
http://www.macgregorministries.org/cult_groups/dungeons_dragons.html)

A detailed analysis of Pulling's claims is Michael Stackpole's "The
Pulling
Report": http://www.rpg.net/252/quellen/stackpole/pulling_report.html

Charney Cale wrote an entertaining paper for school on this subject
that is on the web at http://www.cale.com/paper.htm

Also see
http://www.religioustolerance.org/d_a_d2.htm

This question could go several ways.

Are you looking for people who were killed by video games directly, as
in they plugged in the playstation and electrocuted themselves, or as
in they had an epileptic seizure from a flashing light in a game and
choked to death on their tongue, or are you looking for people that
died and had parents/politicians who "blame" video games for their
deaths, such as the Columbine massacre, where they blamed "Doom" for
the childrens' violent behavior, etc?

There is absolutely no proof that "violent video games" are somehow at
fault for violent behavior, any more than violent television shows are
at fault, or violent parents are at fault, or a violent cocaine habit
is at fault, or eating too much junk food and not enough fish is at
fault. Hypothesizing that playing Quake will make you kill thirty
people in a cold blooded killing spree is simply ludicrous; I've been
playing violent video games for 15 years, and the biggest thing I've
ever killed is a mouse, which had the misfortune to run across a
backroad in front of my car at just the wrong time.

It would be easier to find news stories where video games were accused
of being the "trigger" that caused children to kill people/themselves.
However, for every news story that you find that points the finger at
Doom, Quake, or whatever other really old video game that the news
anchor found at K-Mart that day, you can find another news story that
blames a band (Judas Priest and Marilyn Manson have both been accused
of being the "straw that broke the camel's back" and caused a
teenager(s) to kill themselves or others, for instance!)

It.. there's just no real basis for making a hypothesis like that.
It's media cannon fodder to make people angry at something. The media
is just as much at fault for school shootings (for sensationalizing
it) as anything else is at fault for it.

I have recently heard about the death of a man who stayed playing PC
games in a Gaming Network (LAN) for 83 hours.  I believe he died of
dehydration.

I'll try to look more into to this - are these the sort of deaths you
are looking for?

Thanks,

bobby_d-ga

A wonderful source for information regarding the negative effects of
video games on our youth can be found at
http://www.killology.com/audio.htm, but by all means, check out the
entire website.  And if you *ever* have the chance to hear Col. David
Grossman in person, do yourself a favor and do that - you'll come away
a true believer!